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Russia warned that the new peace deal proposal put forward by Kyiv this week falls far short of the key provisions both countries laid down at the March 29 meeting in Istanbul.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the new document reflects a clear distancing from key negotiation points in this Turkish city, which was confirmed with his signature by the head of the Ukrainian government delegation.
However, he emphasized that despite all provocations, Moscow will remain in the negotiation process with the positions and demands that have been made since the beginning of the dialogue.
The Russian foreign minister said his country does not rule out that the Ukrainian authorities will try to impose new conditions, but clarified that such a scenario would not be acceptable to his country.
“It is likely that in the next round the Ukrainian side will demand the withdrawal of troops and create new conditions. This plan is understandable but unacceptable,” he stressed.
He also drew attention to Kyiv’s inability to negotiate and condemned its “policy of delaying and even undermining the talks by deviating from the agreements reached”.
According to the head of Russian diplomacy, such facts show that Kyiv is controlled by Washington and its allies, urging Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy to keep fighting.
Moscow also warned about the refusal of the Kiev authorities to discuss the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, stressing that such a decision would not contribute to the negotiation process.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s president said his country would continue negotiations with Moscow, but confirmed he would not discuss his country’s demilitarization and denazification, conditions Russia is demanding for the end of military action.
For political analysts, the recent killings of civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and complaints about the alleged authorship of Russian soldiers contributed to the fact that consultations between the parties have stalled, although Moscow has denied its connection to the events.
The Russian Defense Ministry viewed the crimes as a provocation and denounced it as another staging for the media, as happened in Mariupol with the maternity hospital and in other cities.
For his part, the Russian foreign minister described the act as a “false attack” by Ukraine and the West in an attempt to demonize the Russian army and disrupt dialogue between the two countries.
In his opinion, circumstances blocking negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv always arise when there is reason to expect “some progress, even modest.”