Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry in Kiev said Sunday that Russia must withdraw all its troops from Russian soil before Ukraine will sit down for negotiations with the Kremlin.
«The only realistic proposal would be the immediate termination of the Russian war against Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian armed forces from Ukrainian territory,» ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said in a Facebook post.
His statement is a response to comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirming an offer of dialogue from President Vladimir Putin.
«The one who really seeks negotiations does not destroy the country’s energy system to freeze its population in winter, does not engage in mass casualties of civilians, does not bomb residential neighborhoods, does not announce mobilization of millions of servicemen, does not block grain supplies, does not issue ultimatums,» he noted.
«If Russia really wants to talk, it should stop destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure,» Nikolenko noted. «Anyone who wants to negotiate should not shell Ukrainian residential areas, mobilize 300,000 reservists or block grain exports,» he has reproached.
«Lavrov’s statement of readiness for negotiations is nothing but another smokescreen to buy time amid the defeats of the Russian army. As long as Russia continues to commit crimes in Ukraine, the answer must be one, on the battlefield,» he concluded before thanking the Western partners for their support.
