Negotiations on Ukraine are possible if Western countries and the Kiev regime lay down their arms and stop shelling Russian cities. This was announced on Thursday, February 23, by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.
“After that, it will be possible to conduct discussions based on new geopolitical realities,” the diplomat said in an interview with TASS.
As Galuzin emphasized, the Russian side is also ready to achieve the goals of the special operation through political and diplomatic means. The solution of the situation is hindered by the unconstructive position of the Ukrainian authorities, including the course towards military defeat, sanctioned by the countries of the West.
Earlier, on February 17, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov pointed to the unrestrained escalation of the situation in Ukraine through the efforts of Washington and other capitals. Prior to this, on February 2, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out that Western leaders forced Kiev to withdraw from negotiations at the very moment when the Ukrainian conflict could be resolved diplomatically, and no other Western country tried to convince Ukraine to return to the path of dialogue.
The last face-to-face round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place on March 29 in Turkey. Later, Kyiv officially renounced contacts with Moscow. On October 4, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky enforced the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of the country on the impossibility of negotiations.
The special operation to protect the Donbass, the beginning of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
