Russia has agreed to “fundamentally cut back” military activity around Kyiv and Chernihiv in order to “increase mutual trust” in a step towards a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia’s deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin says Russia will "radically reduce" military activity outside the two cities, reports have claimed. Mr Fomin said Moscow has decided to “fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv” in order to “increase mutual trust for future negotiations to agree and sign a peace deal with Ukraine”, according to Russian news agency Tass.