Ukraine ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus: Volodymyr Zelensky

Kyiv, Feb 27: Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that his country is ready for peace talks with Russia but not in Belarus, which was a staging ground for Moscow's 3-day-old invasion.

In a video message, the President named Warsaw, Bratislava, Istanbul, Budapest or Baku as alternative venues. He said other locations are also possible but made clear that Ukraine doesn't accept Russia's selection of Belarus.

His response after the Kremlin said that a Russian delegation had arrived in the Belarusian city of Homel for talks with Ukrainian officials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the delegation includes military officials and diplomats. "The Russian delegation is ready for talks, and we are now waiting for the Ukrainians," Peskov said. Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, with troops moving from Moscow's ally Belarus in the north, and also from the east and south.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities say that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv and fighting is underway in the streets. Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said Sunday that Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops in the city and asked civilians not to leave their homes. Russian troops approached Kharkiv, which is located about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) south of the border with Russia, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on Thursday.