Ukrainian deputy foreign minister says Kyiv suspended peace talks with Russia
Sergiy Kyslytsya Kyiv sees no possibility for further negotiation because previous rounds of talks yielded no significant results
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya
- Sergiy Kyslytsya Kyiv sees no possibility for further negotiation because previous rounds of talks yielded no significant results
- Kyslytsya's statement about suspension of peace talks with Russia demonstrates Kyiv's 'lack of desire for peace.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman responds to Ukrainian deputy foreign minister remarks
MOSCOW
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya said on Wednesday that Kyiv has formally suspended peace talks with Russia.
In an interview with British daily The Times, Kyslytsya cited a lack of meaningful progress during the negotiations that concluded earlier this year.
"Since the peace talks ended this year without significant progress, they have been suspended," he said.
Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of renewed peace talks in Istanbul this year, agreeing on the exchange of prisoners and civilians. They also shared memorandums outlining their respective missions to end the war that began in February 2022.
Kyslytsya explained that Ukraine has been urging its allies to help facilitate a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
However, previous discussions with Russian delegates produced only limited outcomes, he added.
Given Moscow's current position, Kyiv sees no possibility for further negotiation, he said.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, while commenting on Kyslytsya's statement, said Moscow made "specific proposals, including on war prisoner exchange."
"I confirm, no one was going to have 'creative discussions' with them. Specific proposals were made, in particular on prisoner exchanges. So, the Kyiv regime broke the last promises on exchanges—less than 30% of the 1,200 people that had to be swapped were exchanged," she stated in a statement on social media platform Telegram.
Zakharova stressed that "the citizens of Ukraine should know this."
She also said that Kyslytsya's statement about the suspension of peace talks with Russia demonstrates Kyiv's "lack of desire for peace."
