Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Saturday he “does not listen” to what he referred to as Ukraine’s contradictory statements on peace talks.
Lavrov spoke after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China for talks this week. President Volodymyr Zelensky then stated Beijing despatched a “clear signal” it supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Answering questions from Russian journalists on the sidelines of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) within the Laos capital, Lavrov referred dismissively to Zelensky and Kuleba’s feedback.
Kuleba, in an interview with Ukraine’s TSN channel Friday about his go to to Beijing, stated Kyiv couldn’t be compelled to barter and that China, which has sought to color itself as a mediator after Russia’s invasion, revered Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Kuleba “is saying this not for the first time and has sometimes said completely opposite things,” Lavrov stated.
“Not long ago they were talking about negotiations. Zelensky talked of readiness to finally sit at a table with Russian representatives. I don’t listen to them, to be honest,” he added.
Lavrov stated that in talks along with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Vientiane, they mentioned what was stated throughout Kuleba’s go to and Russians “sensed that the Chinese position remains unchanged”.
Lavrov stated Beijing insists the format of any peace talks have to be “acceptable to all sides”.
Zelensky stated this month that Russia must be represented at a second peace summit after Russia was not invited to 1 in June in Switzerland and China didn’t attend due to this.
Lavrov additionally referred to Donald Trump’s attainable place on Ukraine if elected US president, after ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote about this in a Wall Street Journal article this week.
“About Trump, I’ve heard that he proposed instead of just giving Ukraine money to allocate $500 billion on lend-lease conditions,” Lavrov stated, calling this “the approach of a businessman”.
“I can’t comment on numerous ideas, that aren’t really serious,” Lavrov added.
“When there is something serious proposed, of course, as the president said we are always ready for an honest conversation, taking into account the realities that exist now”, the minister stated.
Source: www.anews.com.tr