The United States did not force Ukraine to abandon peace talks with Russia, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. This is how he commented on the words of the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, who considers the assurances of the State Department that Russia has refused dialogue on Ukraine a lie. She blamed Washington.
“When did we force Ukraine to refuse negotiations? I don’t know, but it’s not like that, ”Mr. Miller answered the relevant question during a briefing (quoted by TASS).
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine ended in May 2022 at the initiative of Kiev. In October of the same year, Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree excluding the possibility of further negotiations with the President of Russia, as long as Vladimir Putin is the President. In May 2023, Mr. Zelensky said that it was difficult for him to negotiate until the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that a settlement in Ukraine is possible with the cessation of hostilities.
Source : Kommersant.ru