A Ukrainian negotiator on Saturday rejected Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s comments on what is being discussed in the Russia-Ukraine talks, calling the minister’s allegations unreliable and saying he had not participated in the talks.
In an interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, published on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked about the talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“Currently, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are holding discussions on the possible project almost daily via video conference. “This document must contain elements of the post-conflict situation, such as permanent neutrality, non-nuclear, non-aligned and demilitarized status of Ukraine, as well as guarantees for its security,” Lavrov said.
“The agenda of the talks also includes denazification, recognition of the new geopolitical reality, lifting of sanctions and the status of the Russian language, among other things.
Lavrov said Russia was “in favor” of continuing dialogue between the two countries, but said “the process is difficult.”
Mikhail Podoliak, who took part in the talks between Ukraine and Russia and is an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, disputed the remarks while speaking to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“The issue of global international sanctions against the Russian Federation is not being discussed at all. “Because the reason for their introduction by the world community has not yet been eliminated, namely the occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine and the perfidious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Podoliak said.
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He said Lavrov’s remarks were surprising and said the Russian official had a habit of commenting on “what you are not involved in and what you do not see inside the process”.
Podoliak told the news agency that the Russian military had “discussed” issues of “denazification and the Russian language” with Ukrainians in Mariupol, Bucha and Kharkiv, citing sites of reported Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
“We need to once again call on the representatives of the Russian Federation to refrain from comments that are unreliable and in some way correspond to the real course of the negotiation process,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
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