Russia Says Not Trying To 'Overthrow' Ukrainian Government Of President Zelensky

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: The development comes after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a day-long ceasefire around a series of evacuation corridors.

A view of a tank after shelling in the pro-Russian separatists-controlled Donetsk, Ukraine (Getty Images)

New Delhi: Russia said on Wednesday it was not trying to overthrow the regime of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, AFP reported. Russia also said that negotiations with Ukrainian officials to resolve the conflict were making headway.

During a press briefing on Wednesday on the three rounds of talks with Kyiv, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, "Some progress has been made".

She said the Russian military had not been tasked to "overthrow the current government", AFP reported.

READ | Russia-Ukraine Agree On Day-Long Evacuation Corridors

The development comes after President Zelensky said he was no longer pressing for NATO membership for Ukraine, a delicate issue that was one of Russia's stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbour.

In another remark aimed at placating Moscow, Zelensky said he was open to "compromise" on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent just before invading Ukraine on February 24.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview to ABC News.

"The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia," the president said.

Russia and Ukraine agreed to a day-long ceasefire around a series of evacuation corridors to allow civilians to escape the war.

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Russia vowed to respect the truce from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm around six areas that have been heavily hit by fighting, including regions around Kyiv, in Zaporizhzhia in the south, and some parts of Ukraine's northeast, AFP reported.

On Tuesday, some 60 buses in two convoys were able to evacuate more than 5,000 civilians out of Sumy, a town that lies close to the Russian border and has been the scene of heavy fighting. 

The UN refugee agency UNHCR has estimated the total number of refugees at 2.1 to 2.2 million.