Agreement on humanitarian corridors

The Ukrainian and Russian negotiators at talks in Belarus say the two sides have agreed provisions for a number of humanitarian issues.

The understanding involves a temporary cease-fire to allow the evacuation of citizens and the delivery of aid to areas where fierce fighting has been taking place.

The Ukrainian negotiator said that the second round of cease-fire talks had not yielded the results Kyiv hoped for, but the sides had agreed to speak again. 

"To our great regret, we did not get the results we were counting on," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also said his military has agreed to the corridors.

Although Ukraine expressed disappointment about the second round of talks, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky claimed the negotiations yielded "substantial progress."

"The main issue we decided on today was the issue of saving people, civilians, who are in the zone of military clashes," Medinsky said. "Russia calls on civilians who find themselves in this situation, if military actions continue, to use these humanitarian corridors."

Russian negotiator Leonid Slutsky said the agreements in the second round of talks will be "implemented in the near future."

Ukraine hasn't achieved desired results at negotiations.

According to Ukraine’s presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine is dissatisfied with the outcome of the second round of talks with Russia. The sides will meet for the third round “probably in the nearest time.”

Ukraine, Russia agree to set up humanitarian corridors.

According to Ukraine’s presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, the two sides will together provide humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians and to deliver food and medicine to the areas with the harshest battles.