The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine are meeting face-to-face on Thursday for the first time after the Russian military began its invasion two weeks ago.

The meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba is being held in the southern Turkish city of Antalya. The Turkish government has brokered the talks.

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the talks are very important for continuing the negotiations. But Kuleba said his expectations for a decisive outcome are low.

Lavrov and Kuleba may discuss Ukraine's "neutrality," which Russia demands, as Kyiv has recently indicated that it will not pursue NATO membership for the time being.

The ministers are also expected to discuss the possibility of a summit meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukraine is demanding a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory.

Russia is demanding the demilitarization of Ukraine and a neutral status for the country. The Kremlin is demanding a legal assurance that Ukraine will not join NATO.

Russian troops are intensifying their offensives in Ukraine to close in on the capital, Kyiv.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that as of Tuesday, at least 516 civilians, including 37 children, had been killed across Ukraine since Russia invaded the country.