Ukraine, Russia prepare for third round of peace talks

Ukraine and Russia are expected to meet for the third round of negotiations after nearly two weeks of the war, reports Al Jazeera.

Both sides said the talks could take place on Monday. The location and exact time of the talks were initially unclear.

The two delegations last met in the Brest region in western Belarus for two rounds of peace talks and agreed to have humanitarian corridors in place in the embattled cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to facilitate the evacuation of civilians.

However, the attempt to evacuate Mariupol failed on Sunday, according to the Kremlin and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for failing to adhere to the agreed ceasefire.

Russia has sought to cut off Ukraine's access to the Sea of Azov in the south. Capturing Mariupol could allow Russia to establish a land corridor to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.