Western officials have noticed a shift in Russian strategy from military targets to civilians, with more attacks becoming focused on population centres. The new approach comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to get the quick victory he wanted, and the Russian military has faced stiff and determined Ukrainian resistance across the country.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations held the second round of talks in Belarus on Thursday. A Ukrainian negotiator said afterwards that it didn’t deliver the results that Ukraine needed — both sides had agreed on corridors for civilians to escape.
The ceasefire in parts of Ukraine is the first major accomplishment of the negotiation since it started five days ago in the Ukrainian-Belarus border.
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