Moscow-Kyiv talks under way, Abramovich present

A new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine began in Istanbul on Tuesday morning, with limited optimism about reaching an agreement on an immediate ceasefire on Ukraine's multiple fronts. French President Emmanuel Macron will have a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin later in the day, the French presidency announced.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba gave instructions to his fellow negotiators to be on alert and take care in the wake of information published yesterday by the Wall Street Journal about the poisoning of the Ukrainian mission and the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

In a statement to the Ukrainian news channel Ykpaiha 24, Kuleba advised anyone entering into negotiations with Russia "not to eat or drink anything and, preferably, to avoid touching any surface."

Abramovich, however, appeared perfectly healthy in the Istanbul negotiations, in photos broadcast by the Turkish media.