Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has not refused any assistance from other nations, including Turkey, in arranging negotiations and meetings between Russia and Ukraine. This was conveyed during a briefing by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by a correspondent from Lenta.ru.
Zakharova noted that Russia has historically welcomed initiatives from other countries aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis. She emphasized that Russia has not blocked such efforts, but she also pointed out that external players have grown more active in shaping the Ukrainian dialogue over the last eight years.
Overall, she expressed a favorable view of Turkey’s involvement in coordinating these discussions, while cautioning that meetings merely for form and initiatives that exist in theory will not suffice to resolve the core disagreements. The diplomat warned that without concrete progress on the fundamental issues, repeated meetings could become a ritual rather than a meaningful path to peace.
Earlier statements from a Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative reiterated Moscow’s position in negotiations with Kyiv, arguing that swift progress is conditioned on Kyiv’s willingness to agree to demilitarization and denazification as part of a comprehensive settlement. The message underlined that resolving these issues decisively could lead to an end to hostilities sooner rather than later.
Source attribution: Lenta