Lavrov: Russia not giving up on peace talks with Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow is not giving up on the idea of peace talks with Kiev but the longer the negotiations are delayed, the harder it will be to come to terms.

Lavrov made the remarks on Sunday while speaking with the Rossiya 1 channel. He said the two warring sides need to start the talks as soon as possible.

“We don’t reject the negotiations; we’re not giving up on the negotiations” with Ukraine, Lavrov said. “Those who reject them must understand that the longer this process is delayed, the harder it will be to reach an agreement,” he added, in a veiled reference to the authorities in Kiev.

He pointed out that President Vladimir Putin had voiced the same stance on the peace talks earlier.

Kiev and Moscow have held intermittent peace talks since late February, days after Russia attacked its neighbor, but there had been little communication between them in recent weeks.

The previous rounds of talks had failed to produce a breakthrough, as both of the warring sides had refused to compromise on their respective red lines.

The two sides have not sat down at the negotiating table since the talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul late in March.

'Hard Negotiation': Ukraine, Russia resume peace talks after citing progress

Diplomatic efforts to broker peace between the warring sides in Ukraine have gathered momentum with negotiators from Moscow and Kiev set to resume talks on Monday.

Russia, which initially expressed optimism about the peace process, later accused Kiev of backtracking on the progress achieved in Turkey, saying it had lost trust in the Ukrainian negotiators.

Russian officials have also warned that Moscow’s demands would be more extensive if the talks were to restart.

In recent months, Ukraine has been putting forward terms that Moscow deemed “unrealistic” for the resumption of the negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also claimed on several occasions that he wanted to discuss the outcome of the conflict directly with President Putin.

But Moscow’s position has been that the two leaders should only meet to sign concrete agreements, prepared for them by the negotiators. 

Earlier this week, the Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “Nobody needs a meeting for the sake of a meeting.”  

‘Substantial progress’ made in talks with Ukraine: Russian delegate

“According to my personal expectations, this progress may grow in the coming days into a joint position of both delegations, into documents for signing,” Slutsky said.

Russia began its military offensive against Ukraine on February 24. The conflict has provoked a unanimous response from Western countries, which have imposed a long list of sanctions on Moscow. 

The United States and its Western allies have also stepped up military support for Ukraine, sending a wide array of defensive weapons meant to hold off Russia’s advance.

Russia says it will halt the operation instantly if Kiev meets Moscow’s list of demands, including never applying to join NATO.

The conflict in Ukraine has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 13 million, creating the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

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