The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov, gave a tough answer to the question about possible conditions for resuming the peace process. In an interview cited by TASS, the Foreign Minister stated that Moscow will not stop at the current front line as a condition for starting negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.
Contradictory signals from the Kremlin
Lavrov's statement came against the backdrop of a series of contradictory statements by Russian officials made just the day before. The situation surrounding the topic of negotiations looks extremely confusing: on the one hand, Sergey Lavrov unexpectedly reported that Russia is apparently ready to resume dialogue from the stage at which it was suspended. On the other hand, the Director of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, voiced a position according to which there is no one in Ukraine except President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with whom negotiations could be held.
The highest level of power also demonstrates inconsistency. President Vladimir Putin first claimed that there are currently no prerequisites for negotiations. However, just a few hours later, his position changed: he declared Russia's readiness for dialogue, but exclusively based on the agreements reached during the negotiations in Istanbul.
Reaction to Zelenskyy's ultimatum
Alongside these statements, the Kremlin reacted to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent ultimatum addressed to the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko. Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov harshly criticized the Ukrainian president's initiative, calling it "incitement to continue the war".
Thus, the official position of Moscow remains unchanged on the main issue: Russia will not go for a freeze of the conflict along the current line of contact in order to sit down at the negotiating table.