Russia remains ready for peace talks with Ukraine but these should take place with no preconditions and ought to account for realities on the ground, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin has said.
“There have already been negotiations” between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Minsk and Istanbul, several weeks after the outbreak of the conflict in February last year, Vershinin told broadcaster Zvezda on Saturday. “As you remember, they were interrupted by the Ukrainian side.”
Decisions on such issues as a peace process “aren’t made in Kiev. The decisions are made in other capitals, first of all in Washington and Brussels. And that’s whom one should address” about talks, the senior diplomat pointed out.
As for Russia’s stance, he reiterated that “any military action concludes with negotiations and, as we’ve said earlier, we’ll obviously be ready for such negotiations.”
However, Vershinin stressed that talks should take place “without preconditions, based on the reality that exists” and “taking into account the goals that had been voiced publicly” by Moscow.