Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak on Tuesday accused Russia of putting pressure on the peace talks process through making “certain public statements.” The remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted the talks had run into a “deadlock.”
“Negotiations are extremely difficult. Online in working subgroups. But they go on. It is clear that the emotional background in the negotiation process today is grim. It is clear that the Ukrainian delegation works exclusively within a framework that is pro-Ukrainian and transparent,” Podolyak told the local media, accusing Moscow of deliberately complicating the process.
The remarks came after Russia’s president admitted that the negotiations had effectively run into a “deadlock.” Putin blamed the Ukrainian side for the stalemate, stating that Kiev had reneged on what had been agreed on during talks in Istanbul, Turkey late in March.