Russia is open to negotiations on Ukraine, but for this, contemporary territorial realities must be recognized. This was stated in an interview with TASS by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin.
„Russia is open to a dialogue on Ukraine, based on consideration of our interests. Our position remains unchanged to achieve a comprehensive, sustainable and fair resolution of the crisis. In order to do this, first of all, its root causes must be removed and contemporary geopolitical and territorial realities must be recognized. The West must stop supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine with weapons, and Kiev must stop hostilities, the Deputy Minister stressed.
The diplomat added that the endless supply of Western weapons to Ukraine “only prolongs the conflict and leads to an increase in civilian casualties”. According to him, Moscow notes the growing risks of “the spread of weapons around the world and their falling into the hands of terrorists and criminal groups”. "Unfortunately, there are still many in Europe and the United States who, in the name of inflicting a "strategic defeat" are ready to blindly sacrifice the interests of their countries and peoples, pushing them to the edge of the abyss“, noted Galuzin.
He also noted that "the Russian side is consistently engaged in diplomacy and, unlike the West, has never given up on negotiations”. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation recalled that Moscow sent proposals for security guarantees to Washington and NATO back in December 2021, “but they were rejected”.
"The same thing happened in April 2022 with the agreements reached after the Istanbul round of Russian-Ukrainian talks that could have prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and ended the conflict. However, this did not happen. Everyone knows that the regime in Kiev abandoned them under the pressure of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who demanded the continuation of the war and the defeat of Russia on the battlefield, concluded the diplomat.