Negotiations on the termination of the war between Moscow and Kyiv should be straight and exclude the participation of intermediaries, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“As practice shows, Western intermediaries often pursue their own goals and try to influence the course of negotiations, acting not to resolve the conflict, but in their own political and economic interests,” said Alexei Polishchuk, director of the 2nd Department of the CIS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, whose statements are given by Russian media.
The diplomat recalled that in 2022, negotiations with the Ukrainian side were straight. “So far, we only directly with the Ukrainians and talked, using the sites that we were kindly provided for this, that we are very appreciated,” Polishchuk said, also recalling “almost daily contacts” on video communication with Kyiv.
However, after the detection of the murders of civilians in Bucca, Kyiv stopped maintaining contacts with Moscow. From this moment, the parties communicate only through intermediaries. One of them was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On the eve of the Commissioner for Human Rights of Turkey, Sheref Malkoch announced the telephone conversation of Erdogan with the presidents Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, during which he wants to achieve the opening of the humanitarian corridor for the export of wounded, as well as women and children.
In the summer of 2022, thanks to the efforts of Erdogan and the UN, the parties were able to come to the “grain agreement” and unlock the export of grain from Ukrainian ports. Also, in Turkey, the exchange of Kuma Putin Viktor Medvedchuk for the commanders of the Azov regiment.
Ukraine officially abandoned negotiations with Russia after the annexation of the four regions of the country at the end of September. Then Putin declared the Russian Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. In response to this, Zelensky approved by his decree the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to refuse negotiations with Russia, while Putin remains its president.