Ukrainian delegation arrives in Belarus for talks, Kiev calls for immediate admission into EU

Ukraine's delegation to the negotiations with the Russian Federation in the Belarussian town of Gomel arrived mid-morning on Monday.

It was headed by the country's defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov.

The talks were taking place without preconditions from either side, although Kiev said in a statement that it would demand an immediate ceasefire and that Russian troops leave the country.

Reports indicated that the Russian ground offensive had slowed - although the bombing was said to have intensified - while talks were ongoing, although Russian forces were reportedly still attempting limited advances in some areas.

The Russian army had also announced that a corridor was open for civilians to leave Kiev.

Earlier, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was cited as saying that he was skeptical of the outcome of the negotiations and that his only aim was the integrity of Ukraine.

He also called for the immediate admission of Ukraine into the European Union.

For his part, Russia's chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, said his country was interested in reaching an agreement that was in the interest of both sides.

US President Joe Biden for his part had convened a meeting with allies and partners for 1615 GMT in order to assess the latest developments in the invasion and to coordinate a unified response.