Russia ready for continued negotiations with Ukraine - Russian Foreign Minister

The head of Russian diplomacy called resolving the Ukrainian crisis through peaceful means the main priority.

He recalled the peace talks held from February to April 2022, first in Belarus and later in Türkiye, and blamed the Kyiv regime for their failure, claiming it followed the advice of its Western handlers and chose instead to continue the war.

Later, Lavrov recalled three rounds of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul this spring and noted some progress in humanitarian issues, such as prisoner exchanges and the return of bodies of the deceased.

"Furthermore, each side presented its perspective on the prerequisites for ending the conflict. The heads of the delegations remain in direct contact. We expect the negotiations to continue," said the Russian Foreign Minister.

Peace negotiations

Following the mid-August meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska, Donald Trump called for a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The US State Department confirmed the Russian leader’s agreement to such a summit, but the Kremlin continues to delay the meeting and sets conditions.

Lavrov noted that these talks need to be carefully prepared.

Meanwhile, Trump expressed deep frustration with Putin over the delays in meeting with Zelenskyy and the escalation of Russian attacks on Ukrainian settlements.

Putin is reportedly preparing massive strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities.