Talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to get underway in Turkey in an effort to reach a ceasefire.
- There have been small but clear signs that both Moscow and Kyiv could be moving closer towards a deal. Ukrainian gov't has talked about neutrality guarantees and foreswearing NATO accession. Moscow has potentially walked back from its demands of demilitarisation and barring EU membership for Ukraine.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated before the meeting that both sides have "legitimate concerns".
- Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has been pictured in attendance, talking to Erdogan. The WSJ carried a story yesterday stating that Abramovich, as well as some of the Ukrainian negotiators, had been poisoned at a previous meeting with Abramovich having lost his vision for some hours. This has not been proved and a US official told Reuters that 'an environmental factor' was responsible for Abramovich's reaction, not posioning.