Kiev’s current terms are a complete non-starter, a senior Russian diplomat said
Ukraine must assume a more rational position for the peace negotiations to resume, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has said.
A journalist with the news channel RBK asked Rudenko to comment on the recent report that presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China expect the negotiations to begin by the end of 2024.
The diplomat advised against “setting deadlines or outlining specific timetables” on the matter. He stressed, however, that “the proposals put forward by the Ukrainian authorities, which are controlled from abroad, cannot serve as a basis for any serious negotiations.”
The talks can only resume once Kiev “takes a more realistic position,” Rudenko stated.
On Wednesday, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban briefed EU officials that Putin and Xi anticipate peace negotiations before the…