Moscow (EFE).– Russia has expressed willingness to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, where the last round of talks took place in July last year.
“At present, the negotiations are stalled by Kyiv. Turkish representatives have repeatedly called for their resumption,” Alexei Polischuk, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s department for post-Soviet countries, told the TASS agency.
“The Russian side is ready to do so. The ball is on the Ukrainian side.”
The diplomat noted that although the talks “were not easy,” important humanitarian agreements had been reached, including large-scale prisoner exchanges, the repatriation of bodies, and the return of civilians.
“The parties exchanged memorandums outlining their respective visions for a settlement,” Polischuk said.
In a similar tone, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Turkey, Alexei Ivanov, said Moscow “has repeatedly emphasized its readiness to continue direct talks with the Ukrainian side.”
He stressed that “if there is political will on the part of Kyiv, we are ready for such negotiations at any time.”
“Our Turkish colleagues also consistently underline that Istanbul remains available as a venue and that its doors remain open,” he said.
Ivanov recalled that during the last round of talks on July 23, Moscow proposed setting up three working groups — political, military, and humanitarian — to advance the negotiation process.
Kyiv, however, accuses the Kremlin of stalling the talks by refusing to declare a ceasefire, a demand shared by Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union.
That same issue led US President Donald Trump to cancel the planned Budapest summit, where he was expected to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Western countries should focus not on halting hostilities, but on suspending arms supplies to Kyiv. EFE
mos-sk
