Belarusian foreign ministry spokesperson Anatoly Glaz said Thursday the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have started.

Glaz noted that the members of the two delegations shook hands before starting the talks.

The Russian-Ukrainian negotiations began in Belarus on Monday, after the Ukrainian delegation arrived Sunday in Gomel, Belarus.

Kiev agreed on Sunday to start peace talks with Russia, despite the continuation of battles in many major Ukrainian cities and Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to put the country's deterrence forces on high alert.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had pointed out that he does not really "believe in the outcome" of the negotiations in Belarus.

Last Thursday, Russia launched a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine in response to requests from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for assistance in combating Ukrainian troops' aggression.

The special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military facilities, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, and the civilian population is not at risk.