Big breakthrough: Putin-Zelenskyy meeting possible after Istanbul talks

Istanbul, Mar 29: A meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin may soon materialise, as there were signs of a breakthrough during Kyiv-Moscow talks in Turkey's Istanbul to negotiate an end to the month-long war.

"The results of today's meeting are sufficient for a meeting at the leaders' level," Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said, hinting at the possibility of a meeting between the presidents of the two countries.

The development comes after Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that a meeting between the leaders of the warring countries could only happen after key issues were ironed out by the two delegations.

Russia's deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin said Moscow had decided to "fundamentally ... cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv" to "increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations."

That appeared to be a goodwill gesture, but also comes as Russia's troops have become bogged down and struggled to make major advances on the ground recently in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance, thwarting Russian President Vladimir Putin's aim of a quick military victory.

Ukraine's military said it had noted withdrawals around Kyiv and Chernihiv, though the Pentagon said it could not corroborate Russia's claim.

Earlier talks, held in person in Belarus or by video, failed to make progress on ending a more than month-long war that has killed thousands and driven more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes - including almost 4 million from their country.

But Fomin suggested there had been progress Tuesday, saying "negotiations on preparing an agreement on Ukraine's neutrality and non-nuclear status, as well as on giving Ukraine security guarantees, are turning to practical matters."

Ukraine's team, meanwhile, set out a detailed framework for a future peace deal under which the country would remain neutral but its security would be guaranteed by a group of third countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, China and Poland, in an arrangement similar to NATO's an "attack on one is an attack on all" principle.