Ceasefire talks begin four days after Russian invasion of Ukraine

Talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials began on the Belarusian border today, as Russia faced deepening economic isolation four days after invading Ukraine in the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two.

Russian forces seized two small cities in southeastern Ukraine and the area around a nuclear power plant, the Interfax news agency said today but ran into stiff resistance elsewhere.

Talks began with the aim of...