Ukraine president says positions of Ukraine, Russia at talks sound more realistic

KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address released early on Wednesday that the positions of Ukraine and Russia at peace talks were sounding more realistic but more time was needed.

A senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday that talks with Russia were very difficult but there was “certainly room for compromise,” adding that negotiations would continue on Wednesday.

“The meetings continue, and, I am informed, the positions during the negotiations already sound more realistic. But time is still needed for the decisions to be in the interests of Ukraine,” said Zelenskiy.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie in Kyiv and Oleksandr Kozhukhar, Maria Starkova and Stephen Farrell in Lviv; writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)