Lavrov: Ukraine's response to Moscow's proposal will determine the future of negotiations

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said yesterday, Friday, that Moscow is waiting for a clear and direct response from Kyiv regarding the proposal to form political and military working groups, considering that this step could open the door to sustainable agreements that end the conflict that has lasted for more than three years.

Lavrov added that three rounds of negotiations were held with Ukraine in Istanbul this year, resulting in humanitarian agreements that included prisoner exchanges and the remains of soldiers, but he emphasized that the talks have not made real progress on the core issues.

He explained that the Russian proposal to create working groups is part of Moscow's efforts to push the negotiation process forward, which was indicated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Valaam Island on August 1.

Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of making contradictory statements that hinder the negotiation process, saying that Zelensky sometimes calls for an immediate ceasefire without preconditions while asking the West to use the truce to supply his country with new weapons, and at other times suggests replacing the Istanbul format with a direct meeting with Putin, then returns to demand that the West change the Russian leadership, adding that these fluctuating statements occur almost every two days.

Lavrov confirmed that anyone interested in making actual progress towards a settlement should pay attention to this "clear split in political awareness" among the Ukrainian leadership, noting that Russia remains open to dialogue provided there is a unified and clear Ukrainian position.