Russia-Ukraine War: Negotiations for peace set to resume as attacks still continue

Negotiations to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine are set to resume while attacks in the south and east continue, a Reuters report said.  

This comes as European buyers of gas from Russia are facing a deadline to begin paying in roubles on Friday.  

The peace negotiations are set to resume through video conference on Friday.   

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To bolster its position, Russian forces from breakaway regions in Georgia are being redeployed to Ukraine, said Britain's defence ministry on Twitter.  

This move indicates Russia sustained unexpected losses in Ukraine, it said.  

At talks this week, Russia said it will now focus on "liberating" southeastern Donbas region. It was also looking to reduce offensives near the capital, Kyiv, and in the north as a ‘goodwill gesture’.  

According to Ukraine and its allies, Russia seems to be trying to regroup after heavy losses from a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

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In an address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of "battles ahead" in Donbas and Mariupol.  

"We still need to go down a very difficult path to get everything we want," Zelensky said.  

The United States and its allies have imposed penalties on Russian government entities, businesses and oligarchs for the war.  

Russia will respond to sanctions levied by European Union, the RIA news agency quoted a senior foreign ministry official on Friday.  

"The actions of the EU will not remain unanswered ... the irresponsible sanctions by Brussels are already negatively affecting the daily lives of ordinary Europeans," Nikolai Kobrinets told the news agency.  

(With inputs from agencies)