The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Moscow is always ready for dialogue, even with the most “aggressive” opponents. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the remarks when asked about possible talks with Ukraine, during a TV appearance.
However, the main sticking point lies with Kiev’s position, she claimed. “During recent years, a list of decisions they [Ukraine’s officials] undertook – [which they] seemingly justified with their national interests – in fact, contradicted the very same interests,” Zakharova outlined during an appearance on a Channel One prime time show.
According to the official, the US has been advising Kiev not to engage in dialogue with the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which were formally recognized by Russia earlier this week.
On Friday, Moscow said that Ukraine had agreed to negotiate with Russia, but then “ghosted” them. “The Ukrainian side said it had reconsidered the idea of holding talks in Minsk, chose Warsaw instead, and then disappeared,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Putin announced the Russian operation in Ukraine on Thursday morning, insisting the mission was necessary to “demilitarize and denazify” the “regime” in Kiev. Earlier this week, he recognized the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, who then formally asked for help against Kiev’s “genocide.”
Ukraine has called the intervention unprovoked aggression and said it had no plans for a full-blown attack on the Donbass republics.