Moscow/ Kyiv | Jagran News Desk: Russia on Sunday said it is "ready for talks" with the Ukrainian government in Belarus as the fighting between the nations continue to escalate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that a Russian delegation has also reached Belarus' Gomel to hold talks with the Ukrainian representatives.
Responding to the Kremlin's offer, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Kyiv is ready for talks, but he has ruled out the option for holding discussions in Belarus, which was the "invasion staging ground." He, however, said he is open to talks in locations that are not showing aggression towards Ukraine.
"Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku. We proposed all of them," he said in an online address, as reported by AFP.
This comes hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had declared a war against Kyiv on February 24, thanked the Special Operation Forces of the Russian armed forces for their "impeccable service" in Ukraine.
"I want to thank the command, the personnel of the special operations forces, veterans of the special forces units for their loyalty to the oath, for their impeccable service in the name of the people of Russia and our great Motherland," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin on Sunday.
The fighting between the Russia armed forces and the Ukrainian military has been brutal. Earlier in the day, the Russians claimed their forces have entered Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, adding they have detained 471 Ukrainian servicemen and struck 975 military infrastructure sites till now.
However, the Ukrainian forces have claimed that Russia has suffered heavy casulties in the conflict so far. On Saturday, Ukraine said Russia has lost 14 aircraft, 8 helicopters, 102 tanks, 536 BBMs, 15 heavy machine guns and 1 BUK missile since February 24. It added that Russia has also lost over 3,500 soldiers.
"72 hours of resistance! The world didn’t believe. The world doubted. But we did not just stand, we confidently continue to fight with russian occupant! We showed the world – don’t be afraid Russia, be strong and repel it! Support of Ukraine must be more stronger! Your safety depends on us," tweeted Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.