Officials from Russia and Ukraine have given their most optimistic assessments of progress on cease-fire talks, suggesting there could be positive results within days.
In a video posted online, Ukrainian negotiator and presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said, “We will not concede in principle on any positions.”
He added that the Kremlin now understands this and “is already beginning to talk constructively”.
“I think that we will achieve some results literally in a matter of days,” he said.
Russia’s Interfax news agency cited a Russian delegate, Leonid Slutsky, as saying the talks had made substantial progress.
“According to my expectations, in the coming days, this progress may grow into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing,” Slutsky said.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also said Moscow was showing signs of willingness to engage in substantive negotiations about ending the conflict.
