(NewsNation) — Another round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine started Tuesday in Istanbul, marking the first face-to-face meeting between the countries in two weeks.

But even though there are some things Russia wants that Ukraine is OK with considering during these talks, there are other demands that neither country will agree to.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country could declare neutrality to secure peace but would prioritize protecting its sovereignty and territory.

At this point, Zelenskyy is willing to lift restrictions on the Russian language being taught and used in Ukraine. Ukraine is also offering to adopt a neutral geopolitical status. This would mean Ukraine would not join a military organization like NATO, but could still join the European Union, which is a financial organization.

And Zelenskyy wants a signed agreement between Russia and the West guaranteeing Ukraine’s safety.

But these are a no-go if Russia continues to occupy Ukraine. Ukraine wants Russia out of every area that it has occupied since the invasion started over a month ago.

What Ukraine says it absolutely will not concede to is a demilitarization of its forces. The country sees the value of the idea of having weapons and the military.

“We still have to fight, we have to endure,” Zelenskyy said. “We can’t express our emotions now. We can’t raise expectations, simply so that we don’t burn out.”

Russia, on Tuesday, promised to scale down military operations around Kyiv and Northern Ukraine as a confidence-building step.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, speaking to reporters, said while the decision was made to reduce military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions, he made no mention of areas that have also seen heavy fighting, like the besieged Mariupol.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.