Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine have met in Belarus for talks aimed at brokering peace. There were no breakthroughs, but reports this morning say a second round could occur in the coming days. Ukraine’s ask is clear – it wants a ceasefire and Russia’s withdrawal. Russia, however, has not declared its hand. It comes as fighting escalated overnight and Ukraine’s 2nd largest city of Kharkiv has sustained heavy bombing of its residential districts. Officials say they expect dozens of civilians to have died in the attack. The capital Kyiv remains under Ukraine’s control but analysts say Russia is stepping it up after failing to make the early gains that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted. Russia’s also stepping it up on another battlefield – its economy. It’s more than doubled the interest rate to 20% in a bid to halt a slump in the value of its currency. But with sanctions raining down on it, Putin maintains that he has the resources to ride it out.