Russia Ukraine Conflict: Peace talks begin in Belarus in crucial 24 hours

It is day five of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and if by this stage Vladimir Putin had hoped to have key regions of this country under his control he has been proved wrong in part by the resilience of Ukrainian forces – civilian and military.

At the same time there are fears that he has moved more tanks and artillery into position for the next and far more violent phase of this war, especially if the tentative talks under way on the Belarus border fail.