Lavrov spoke about the prospects for negotiations with Kiev
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed doubts about the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations due to the position of the Kyiv delegation.
He stated this today at a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Moscow, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The way the Ukrainian delegation behaved during the negotiations, the way President Zelensky himself behaved, refusing to confirm that they received our new proposals a week ago, is, of course, depressing. Apparently, they are not particularly interested in negotiations. They rely on the fact that now, as they were promised by those who call to prevent Russia from winning and destroying it, they will continue this line by pumping Ukraine up with weapons.
If this continues, the negotiations are unlikely to have any result, but we are committed to a negotiated solution and a ceasefire, which we do every day, declaring humanitarian corridors that are ignored,” Lavrov said.
He called the Ukrainian negotiating team’s proposal to hold the next meeting in Mariupol right next to the walls of Azovstal “theatrically presented.”
“What can I say – a theatrical gesture. Ukrainians love to stage everything. Apparently, they wanted another heartbreaking scene. If we are talking about a serious attitude in the negotiations, then it would be better if they responded to our proposals as soon as possible,” Lavrov said.
He also believes that the negotiation process at this stage does not need intermediaries.
“If someone has interesting ideas, we are ready to listen to them, but there was no talk about mediation at the previous stages. It’s too early to talk about intermediaries at this stage. We want to get an answer to the latest version of the draft document, which we handed over 10-12 days ago and about which the Ukrainian negotiators did not report to their president,” Lavrov said.
Some experts suggest that Moscow’s constant statements about its readiness for negotiations, which irritate the Russian public, are addressed to the leaders of third countries, and are only intended to emphasize the intractability of Kyiv and the aggressiveness of the West.
Lavrov spoke about the prospects for negotiations with Kiev.