Will Chalk

But the starting positions haven't changed and they don't bode well for any breakthrough to peace.

Because Russia is still demanding Kiev surrender the rest of the eastern Donbass, land Ukraine's troops have been defending for years.

And for Kiev, that's impossible.

It is still too early to draw conclusions.

We will see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the results will be.

But it needs not only Ukraine to want to end this war.

It needs Russia to show a similar desire.

Instead, Russia is destroying power plants across Ukraine that should supply homes, hospitals and schools.

Round-the-clock repairs can't keep up.

And this week, it's minus 11 in Kiev.

There's talk of a humanitarian catastrophe here.

The attacks on the power supply in Ukraine have been so extensive that when night falls now, there are really big areas of Kiev where the lights don't come on anymore.

There's no heat either in people's homes.

It is really debilitating.

And that's why so few Ukrainians really believe Vladimir Putin can want peace when he's doing things like this.

So families now huddle in heated tents.

in the yards of their flats.

Lydia hasn't had electricity for five days.

This place is a lifeline.

But I ask her about doing a deal with Vladimir Putin.