Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin announced Russia’s new strategy.
“Due to the fact that negotiations on the preparation of the treaty on the neutrality and non-nuclear status of Ukraine, as well as on the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine, are moving into practice, taking into account the principles discussed during today’s meeting, by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation — in order to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achievement of the ultimate goal … a decision was made to radically, at times, reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions,” he said, according to CBS News.
As Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul, Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said his country has received “a clearly formulated position from Ukraine” and “the possibility of making peace will become closer” as the two sides work together.