Ukraine, Russia to resume peace talks Friday: Ukrainian media

MOSCOW/KYIV - Ukraine and Russia will resume their peace talks on Friday in an online format, the Ukrinform news agency reported Thursday, citing a member of the Ukrainian delegation David Arakhamia.

During the talks, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations will intensify efforts to work out an agreement needed for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Arakhamia said on Telegram.

"We hope that the presidents of the countries will meet next," Arakhamia said, noting that the Ukrainian side insists that the meeting take place anywhere but Russia or Belarus.

According to the TASS news agency, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that "as for the resumption (of the peace talks) tomorrow ... if it happens, we will inform you."

There is no clear timeframe of a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky, Peskov said.

"We said earlier that a meeting at the highest level should be preceded by the finalization of work on the text of the agreement, the approval and initialing of this text by high-ranking officials," he said.