Russia says it is open to peace talks with Ukraine through mediators
Dictator Vladimir Putin (Photo:Getty Images)
The Kremlin has said it might consider conducting peace talks with Ukraine through mediators, Russian state-owned news agency TASS quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry representative, Alexey Polishchuk, as saying on Oct. 9.
According to Polishchuk, Moscow is ready to accept intermediary services at peace talks on the terms that “Kyiv has already rejected.”
“Many countries are currently offering their mediation in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine,” Polishchuk said.
“There is no shortage of intermediary services, and we’re not refusing them.”
According to the diplomat, those countries that are interested in acting as mediators in the peace process “should convince Kyiv to withdraw its troops and give up the (Russia-) annexed territories.”
Ukrainian experts and officials say that Moscow’s sudden willingness to engage in peace negotiations is a result of its failures on the battlefield, where Ukrainian troops continue to liberate territory – including areas the Kremlin has claimed to have annexed.
Ukrainian officials say Russia’s offer of talks is a ruse, designed to allow the Kremlin to maintain control over the parts of Ukraine it occupies while it rebuilds its shattered military and prepares to attempt to invade more of Ukraine.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Sept. 30 signed “agreements” on annexing Russia-occupied Ukrainian territory with proxy leaders of the sham republics the Kremlin set up in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as with collaborators from Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.
He also claimed that RUssia was ready to conduct negotiations with Ukraine.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy endorsed a recent decision made by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to outlaw any talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian president said that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would be impossible while Russia is headed by the dictator Putin.
Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv has always proposed that Russia agree to coexist with Ukraine on equal, honest, dignified and fair terms.
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