'Russian forces to continue operation in Ukraine until goals achieved'

Moscow, March 1:  Russia will continue its special military operation in Ukraine until it achieves the main goal of defending Russia from Western threats, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

Both the countries concluded their first round of negotiations in Belarus on Monday with no clear breakthrough, Xinhua news agency reported.

While the talks were going on, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone talk with French President Emmanuel Macron, reiterating that a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were taken into account.

Putin said it was important to recognise "Russia's sovereignty over Crimea," as well as the country's commitment to solving the tasks of Ukraine's "demilitarisation" and "denazification", and the issue of Ukraine's neutral status.