Russia is ready for contacts on the Ukrainian crisis at any level, but they must be well prepared and meaningful. This was stated in an interview with TARS by the Director of the Department for the Organization of Independent States (CIS) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexei Polishchuk.
“In principle, we are ready for any contacts on the issues underlying the Ukrainian crisis and ways to resolve the situation in Ukraine. However, these contacts should be well prepared and meaningful, and not conducted to distract attention,” Polishchuk told the agency.
The diplomat reminded that a tripartite meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey was held in Antalya on March 10 at the initiative of the Turkish side. “At the end of March, the Turkish leadership signaled its readiness to organize a new meeting, but there was no practical development,” Polishchuk added, answering questions about the Foreign Ministry’s preparations for a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Kuliba.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been going on since February 28. Several meetings were held in Belarus, after which the parties continued video communication. A new round of talks took place in Istanbul on March 29. On April 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that the Ukrainian government had abandoned the agreement reached during talks in Turkey.