Russia, Ukraine end peace talks in Belarus, to hold second round after consultations

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Representatives of the two warring nations will return to their respective capitals for further consultations before second round of talks.

Ceasefire talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials ended on Monday along the Belarusian border. Representatives of the two warring nations will return to their respective capitals for further consultations before second round of talks, RIA news agency quoted Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak as saying.

A destroyed armoured vehicle is seen in front of a school which, according to local residents, was on fire after shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (REUTERS)

The next round of negotiations will be held on the Polish-Belarusian border, reported Sputnik citing Russia's delegation head Vladimir Medinsky.

"We agreed to keep the negotiations going," Medinsky was quoted as saying.

The talks began earlier in the day at the border town of Gomel between the delegations of the two countries even as heavy firing continued in cities and suburbs of Ukraine. This was the fifth day of the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine that has triggered unprecedented sanctions against Russia by the West, besides massive global condemnation

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The talks came to an end around the same time when it was reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had signed an official request for his country's membership to the European Union.

Zelenskiy had asked the European Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership immediately under a special procedure as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.