Bertas is the new sandwich shop where pastrami and cheese dreams are made
Tooley, whose hospitality CV includes corner cafe Noon in Manly, has gone gung-ho with creating his own sandwich ingredients – sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers and fennel, fruit compote spreads, garlic sauce, pesto, chimichurri and a range of roasted vegetables, most recently fennel and broccolini.
With cold cuts from LP's Quality Meats and Whole Beast Butchery, and bread from Infinity Bakery, he's pairing pickled onion, stracciatella and pistachio pesto in the mortadella sandwich, and layering generous amounts of pastrami between emmental cheese, pickled cucumber and sauerkraut.
There's a special – rare roast beef with a lovely onion jam, more emmental, pickled onion and chimichurri – that Tooley is quite rightly adding to the menu permanently. All of these bready parcels allow the meat flavours to jangle with heat, tangy ferments and creamy cheeses on equal terms.
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The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Ukraine, Russia drone strikes after latest peace talks
Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks. The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise. "We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily." Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv. Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill. The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. with DPA Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks. The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise. "We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily." Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv. Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill. The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. with DPA Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks. The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise. "We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily." Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv. Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill. The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. with DPA Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks. The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise. "We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily." Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv. Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill. The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. with DPA
The Advertiser
23-07-2025
- The Advertiser
Russian, Ukrainian delegations to hold talks in Turkey
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. The Kremlin played down expectations of any breakthrough at the Wednesday evening meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the country would view a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting as the key requirement for a breakthrough. "The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach," the source said. A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting at the Ciragan Palace was expected to start with opening remarks to the two delegations by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. US President Donald Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Last week he threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days, although reaction on financial markets suggested investors were sceptical that he would follow through. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russian forces, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Ukraine of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. The Kremlin played down expectations of any breakthrough at the Wednesday evening meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the country would view a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting as the key requirement for a breakthrough. "The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach," the source said. A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting at the Ciragan Palace was expected to start with opening remarks to the two delegations by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. US President Donald Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Last week he threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days, although reaction on financial markets suggested investors were sceptical that he would follow through. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russian forces, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Ukraine of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. The Kremlin played down expectations of any breakthrough at the Wednesday evening meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the country would view a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting as the key requirement for a breakthrough. "The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach," the source said. A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting at the Ciragan Palace was expected to start with opening remarks to the two delegations by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. US President Donald Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Last week he threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days, although reaction on financial markets suggested investors were sceptical that he would follow through. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russian forces, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Ukraine of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength. Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. The Kremlin played down expectations of any breakthrough at the Wednesday evening meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the country would view a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting as the key requirement for a breakthrough. "The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach," the source said. A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting at the Ciragan Palace was expected to start with opening remarks to the two delegations by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. US President Donald Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Last week he threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days, although reaction on financial markets suggested investors were sceptical that he would follow through. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russian forces, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Ukraine of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength.
Perth Now
23-07-2025
- Perth Now
Russian, Ukrainian delegations to hold talks in Turkey
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Istanbul for their first peace talks in more than seven weeks. The Kremlin played down expectations of any breakthrough at the Wednesday evening meeting, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this week should focus in part on preparing a summit between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Naturally, no one expects an easy road. Naturally, this will be a very difficult conversation. The projects (of the two sides) are diametrically opposed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the country would view a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting as the key requirement for a breakthrough. "The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach," the source said. A Turkish foreign ministry source said the meeting at the Ciragan Palace was expected to start with opening remarks to the two delegations by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Previous talks on May 16 and June 2 led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But those meetings lasted less than three hours in total and made no breakthrough towards ending the war that started with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. US President Donald Trump has patched up relations with Zelenskiy after a public row with him at the White House in February, and has lately expressed growing frustration with Putin. Last week he threatened heavy new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days, although reaction on financial markets suggested investors were sceptical that he would follow through. On Wednesday, Russia said its forces had captured the settlement of Varachyne in Ukraine's Sumy region, where Putin has ordered his troops to create a buffer zone after Ukraine mounted a shock incursion into Russia last year and held onto a chunk of its territory for months. Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report. In recent weeks, Russian forces have launched some of their heaviest air attacks of the war, focusing especially on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Ukraine has hit back with attacks of its own, and last month inflicted serious damage on Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bomber fleet by smuggling drones close to air bases deep inside the country. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that the agenda for talks was clear: the return of prisoners of war and of children abducted by Russian forces, and the preparation of a meeting between himself and Putin. Putin turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person and has said he does not see him as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when Zelenskiy's five-year mandate expired last year. Russia also denies abducting children. The Kremlin said this week it was unrealistic to expect "miracles" from the talks. At the last meeting on June 2, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum setting out its key demands, including: full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions of the country that Russia has claimed as its own; limits on the size of Ukraine's military; enhanced rights for Russian-speakers in Ukraine; and acceptance by Ukraine of neutral status, outside NATO or any other alliance. Ukraine sees those terms as tantamount to surrender, and Zelenskiy described the Russian stance as an ultimatum. Ukraine wants an immediate ceasefire, reparations, international security guarantees and no restrictions on its military strength.
