Ukraine, Russia Envoys Meet for Talks under Shadow of Nuclear Threat
Cars are stopped at a roadblock set by civil defensemen at a road leading to central Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have met for talks amid high hopes but low expectations for any diplomatic breakthrough.
The talks come after Moscow unleashed the biggest land war in Europe since World War II but met unexpectedly stiff resistance.
As outgunned but determined Ukrainian forces slowed the Russian advance and sanctions crippled the Russian economy, the military confirmed that its nuclear forces were on high alert.
While that raised the unimaginable specter of nuclear conflict, it was unclear what practical effect it had.
A tense calm reigned in Kyiv, explosions and gunfire were heard in embattled cities in eastern Ukraine, and terrified Ukrainian families huddled overnight in shelters, basements or corridors.
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