Kuleba added that Russia seems determined to continue its offensive and seek a capitulation from Kiev that it will not achieve, but that despite this and the fact that the meeting was difficult, Ukraine is ready to continue the talks “with this format”.
“Ukraine does not give up. We will seek diplomatic solutions, but until we achieve them we will protect the people from Russian aggression”, she stressed at a press conference in the Turkish city of Antalya, on the Mediterranean Sea.
In another solo press conference, Lavrov said after the meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart that Russia also wanted to continue negotiating with Ukraine despite the fact that this country does not seem to have a real will to reach agreements.
Lavrov criticized the West for the sanctions it imposed on Russia and for supplying arms to the Ukrainian military, adding that a hospital bombed in Ukraine yesterday was serving as a base for Ukrainian fighters who had kicked out patients and staff.
Lavrov said that Kuleba rejected Moscow’s demands that Ukraine adopt a neutral status that would guarantee it would not join NATO and that Russia did agree to open corridors to evacuate civilians from combat zones.
Russia “is always open to negotiations at the highest level if they are going to have value,” he said, but added that Ukraine seemed to want to have talks just for the sake of having them, with no willingness to reach agreements.
“We have mentioned a ceasefire, but there was no progress in that direction,” Kuleba told reporters, adding that they had nevertheless decided with Lavrov to “continue efforts.” “Ukraine will not surrender,” the minister reiterated. “We are open to diplomacy but if it doesn’t work, we will protect our country and our people.”
“First of all, I came here for humanitarian reasons, for the evacuation of civilians. But Lavrov did not want to promise anything on this point”, insisted the head of Ukrainian diplomacy. However, “we have decided to continue our efforts and I plan to continue with this format,” he said.
Level
The meeting was the highest level between Ukraine and Russia since the beginning of the invasion, two weeks ago, after three meetings of delegations appointed for this purpose that have been in contact since February 28 in Belarus, a dialogue mechanism that will continue beyond the contacts between foreign ministers. The meeting, which lasted one hour and 40 minutes, was held in the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Lavrov said he discussed with Kuleba the possibility of opening direct negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin would not turn down a meeting with Zelensky if it is to discuss “specific” issues, he said.
Cavusoglu, who first met separately with each of the other two foreign ministers, said before the meeting that the meeting was intended to pave the way for a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to be facilitated by the Turkish leader.
Turkey, which is a member of NATO, has cultivated good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has positioned itself as neutral, in an attempt to facilitate a negotiation between the parties. Turkey has called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, “illegal” and “unacceptable,” but also said it does not support one or the other.
China, which has also tried to stay out of the conflict although without hiding its closeness and “common interests” with Russia, was in favor of a ceasefire.
“We would like to see a ceasefire and ceasefire as soon as possible, that is the hope of the entire international community,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a conversation yesterday with his French counterpart, Jean Yves LeDrian. Likewise, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, called for an “immediate ceasefire” in a telephone conversation with President Putin in which, in addition, they insisted that any solution to this crisis must pass for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia,” a German government source said.
It is estimated that thousands of people, both military and civilian, have died since President Putin announced the beginning of the invasion with the declared goal of preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, as the United States wants.
Source: Ambito
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