Ukraine calls for ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops before further talks

Ukraine refuted comments by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that Russia wanted a negotiated solution to the war and said any dialogue would hinge on a Russian ceasefire and the withdrawal of its troops. Schroeder said he met President Putin in Moscow last week, where the first success of the negotiations was a grain deal and could likely slowly expand into a ceasefire. It is known that the first grain ship since the war began, had passed through the Bosphorus on its way to Lebanon.