Russia is ready to accept Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he wants to discuss bilateral relations, but not Donbass. This was announced on January 28 by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“The president [РФ Владимир Путин] answered this question. If Zelenskiy wants to discuss the normalization of bilateral relations, which are suffering from the damage caused by the unilateral actions of his regime – to these actions, of course, we respond – we are ready, please. Let him come to Moscow, Sochi, St. Petersburg, where they agree, ”Lavrov said in an interview with Russian radio stations.
The Russian side will not discuss the situation in Donbass, the minister stressed.
“If he (Zelensky – Ed.) wants to discuss Donbass, please go to the contact group, which, according to the decision of the Normandy format, should consider all issues of settlement directly between Kiev and Donetsk, Kiev and Luhansk,” Lavrov explained.
On January 19, it was reported that the presidents of Russia and Ukraine were invited to Turkey to discuss and resolve differences.
The next day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Ankara’s desire to hold a meeting between Putin and Zelensky on its territory. The Turkish leader noted that he was upset by the formed “atmosphere of war” between Moscow and Kiev.
On the same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would only welcome if the Turkish partners could push Kiev to implement the Minsk agreements.
On January 14, Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the President of Ukraine, said that Zelensky had proposed to US President Joe Biden to organize tripartite talks with Putin’s participation. In response, Peskov said that Moscow had not yet received proposals for trilateral negotiations between the Russian Federation-USA-Ukraine.
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