The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to an article by the Washington Post that Ukraine's military operation in the Kursk region allegedly disrupted secret talks between the two countries. They say that no such talks took place and remind us of the requirements put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire. This is stated on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, reports UNN.
Details
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claims that “no one disrupted anything because there was nothing to disrupt.” She emphasized that no direct or indirect negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on the security of civilian critical infrastructure “have been and are being held.
Zakharova also recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had put forward demands for a ceasefire, which she called “a very generous peace initiative.” These demands included Ukraine's giving up four regions and Crimea, renouncing NATO membership, lifting sanctions and “ending discrimination against Russian-speaking citizens,” which apparently meant introducing Russian as a second state language.
Context
The Washington Post, citing unnamed diplomats and officials, writes that Ukraine and Russia allegedly intended to send delegations to Qatar in August for indirect talks on ending strikes on energy infrastructure on both sides. However, the operation in the Kursk region allegedly disrupted them.