Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Belarus on February 28, 2022, four days after Russia's full-scale invasion. They later held meetings by video link before meeting again in person in Istanbul on March 29. After that they exchanged multiple drafts until mid-April, before the talks broke down.

The European Union plans to tighten sanctions against Russia if there is no progress in ending the conflict in Ukraine this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that the European Union is prepared to implement stricter sanctions against Russia if no steps are taken in the coming days towards