Russia, Ukraine to hold third-round peace talks soon as fighting going on

MOSCOW/KIEV, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Moscow wishes to continue dialogue with Ukraine and wants peace, provided that all Russia's security demands are met, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

(Photo: CGTN)

In a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin expressed his hope that Kiev will take a "reasonable and constructive stance" during a third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, the third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia may take place on Saturday or Sunday.

Podolyak said that both Russia and Ukraine take a tough position, so negotiations would be difficult. And yet the talks will still be carried out.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not make any concessions that could "humiliate" Ukraine's resistance, Podolyak added.

During talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko over phone, Putin said the goals of Russia's military operation in Ukraine are being carried out according to plan, and will all be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said Friday that Russia's armed forces has captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest one in Europe, which was later confirmed by Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

The plant was seized following a shelling which caused a fire at the plant, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook.

Currently, Ukrainian personnel continued to operate the plant, the agency said.

Earlier on Friday, a fire broke out in a training building outside the plant, which the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar claimed was "a result of continuous enemy shelling of buildings and units" of the nuclear power plant.

The Russian defense ministry refuted the claim, saying that the fire was the result of a provocation by Kiev aimed at accusing Russia of creating a hotbed of radioactive contamination.

A Chinese envoy on Friday called on parties to the Ukraine conflict to act with caution and work together, with the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ensure the safety of relevant nuclear facilities inside Ukraine.

China pays close attention to the latest developments in Ukraine and expresses its concern over the relevant reports about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

The Ukrainian parliament called for the introduction of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, the parliament's First Deputy Chairman Oleksandr Korniyenko said on Friday.

The parliament also called for the immediate introduction of "a no-fly zone" over the territory of Ukraine.

During a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will continue to make efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

Also on Friday, Finland Chamber of Commerce published a survey saying that the sanctions imposed by some Western countries against Russia in some way will affect up to 90 percent of Finnish export companies.

The impact of sanctions on companies' operations was generally seen as negative. About 85 percent of companies responded to the negative effects of sanctions. Only 3.6 percent of companies thought the sanctions would have a positive impact on the company's business.

A quarter of the companies that responded to the survey said there could be a significant impact on their business.