Ukraine and Russia agree to talks without preconditions, says Zelenskiy

Vladimir Putin puts nuclear deterrence forces on alert

Ukrainian and Russian officials will meet for talks at a venue on the Belarusian border with Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office said on Sunday.

The talks, the first since Russia unleashed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, would be held without preconditions and are the result of a phone call between Zelenskiy and the Belarusian president, Zelenskiy said.

“We agreed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the Russian delegation without preconditions on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, near the Pripyat River,” he said in a statement.

Nuclear alert

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military command to put nuclear-armed forces on high alert