Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected the Kremlin's offer of talks in Belarus on Sunday, saying the country was a staging ground for the Russian invasion, reported agencies. Zelenskiy, however, left the door to negotiations open in other locations. Russia had offered to hold talks with Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel.In a video message, Zelenskiy named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues.
The development comes as Russian troops entered Kharkivm the second-largest city of Ukraine, leading to street fights between Ukraine and Russian soldiers. Zelenskiy said Russian forces are deliberately attacking residential areas to hurt people. Soon after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the go-ahead for what Russia is declining to call war but a special military operation, Russia has been sending feelers to Ukraine that Russia is ready to talk. The Kremlin earlier said Putin was ready to send a delegation to Belarus which had hosted rounds of peace talks over the Ukrainian crisis. Russia declared war on Ukraine on Thursday, February 24. Ever since, the Russian forces have been launching strikes on military bases and other places across Ukraine. Russian troops are also attempting to make their way to the capital city of Kyiv.