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Speaking of dialogue, Russia tries to buy time for new aggression – Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

"Moscow is not interested in restoring peace in Ukraine".

Speaking of dialogue, Russia tries to buy time for new aggression – Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
Oleh Nikolenko
Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

Russian media headlines about readiness for negotiations are an imitation of the desire for dialogue. Russian officials start talking about negotiations every time the occupying army suffers defeats. At the same time, shelling of the territory of Ukraine continues, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleh Nikolenko, has said on Facebook.

"I see the headline in the media: 'The Russian Foreign Ministry declared Russia's readiness to negotiate with Ukraine'. Finally, I think, the Russians have admitted defeat, announced the withdrawal of their troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, cancelled all illegal decisions in the occupied territories and started paying compensation. I read the news further, and there is nothing of the kind there. Instead, the following statements are quoted: 'We are always open to negotiations', 'We have never refused from them', 'We are ready to negotiate taking into account the current realities'. At the same time, I get a new notification on my phone about the air alert due to the launch of Russian missiles at Ukraine. The statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry is another smokescreen," he said.

Nikolenko recalled that Russian officials start mentioning the negotiations every time Russian troops are defeated on the battlefield.

"Moscow is not interested in restoring peace in Ukraine. By imitating readiness for dialogue, the Russian Federation is trying to gain time to regroup units, train newly mobilised Russians, resolve the issue of lack of weapons, eliminate logistics shortcomings, and then with new forces to resort to new waves of aggression. We already went through this in 2014-2015. Those who are really interested in peace talks do not destroy cities and villages, do not kill civilians, do not destroy energy infrastructure, do not harass the residents of the temporarily occupied territories, do not impede food supplies," he stressed.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Ukraine has repeatedly offered negotiations. But it always faced either a dismissive reaction and a demand to obey the Kremlin's ultimatums, or another act of genocide against Ukrainians.

Earlier today, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Russians are ready to negotiate with Ukraine "taking into account the current realities".

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