Top Russian, Ukrainian diplomats to meet in Turkey on Mar 10

Kyiv, Mar 07: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to meet in Turkey on March 10. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the announcement in brief remarks to media on Monday, adding he would attend the meeting in the resort city of Antalya. Russian news agencies confirmed the plan.

NATO member Turkey, which shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, has been offering to host talks.

Meanwhile, the third round of talks between Ukraine and aggressor country Russia will begin today at 16.00 Kyiv time.

The second round of talks ended with the two sides agreeing to set up humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians in cities under siege.

Russia and Ukraine attempts on both Saturday and Sunday to maintain a cease-fire in several cities lasted only hours and left thousands still trapped without access to food, water or electricity.

Ukraine rejected a third attempt on Monday, ahead of the talks, after Moscow offered safe passage from several cities that would take the civilians into Russia.

Kyiv has expressed a willingness to accept one of Moscow's demands, namely to guarantee its status as a neutral country and rule out the option of joining NATO.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue the conflict until all his demands are met.

These include Ukraine ceasing military action, changing its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledging Crimea as Russian territory and recognizing the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent territories, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 24, causing the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

(with agency inputs)