(Kyiv) Talks with Moscow are “very difficult”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday, denying any agreement with Russia more than a month after the start of the Russian invasion.
Posted at 10:56 a.m.
Updated at 11:41 a.m.
“The negotiation process is very difficult,” said the head of Ukrainian diplomacy in a statement, denying any “consensus” with Moscow at this stage.
Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that Russia and Ukraine agreed on four out of six negotiating points.
“There is no consensus with Russia on the four points mentioned by the President of Turkey”, underlined Mr. Kouleba, welcoming however “the diplomatic efforts” of this country “aimed at ending the war”. .
Mr Kouleba and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov had met in Antalya in Turkey on March 10, at the invitation of Ankara, for what is the only official meeting at this level since the start of the war.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy repeated Kyiv’s “strong position” and “demands” to reach an agreement with Moscow: “a ceasefire, security guarantees and the territorial integrity of Ukraine” , but also that “the Ukrainian language be and remain the only state language in Ukraine”.
According to him, “the classification” by Ankara “of the key subjects of the negotiations in four or other points is incorrect”, he specified in the press release. “Many different issues are discussed at the same time in the subgroups of delegations,” he added.
“Ukraine will continue its dialogue with Turkey and the other stakeholders in order to restore peace on Ukrainian soil”, finally declared Mr. Kouleba for whom the “tripartite strategy-sanctions, military support, negotiations-” current “does not should not be questioned”.