Russia has not received a proposal from Ukraine to continue diplomatic contacts

JAKARTA - Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Alexey Fadeev said on Thursday that Russia had not received any proposals from Ukraine to resume diplomatic contacts as part of efforts to resolve the conflict.

In a press briefing in Moscow, Fadeev said Russia remained ready to consider "concrete constructive ideas" from US negotiators on a potential resolution of the conflict.

"There has been no such proposal received from Ukraine," Fadeev said, recalling that Kyiv unilaterally withdrew from the discussions held in Istanbul at the end of last year without giving an explanation, reported Anadolu (7/8).

"If American negotiators have concrete constructive ideas, we are always ready to discuss them," he added.

According to Fadeev, Russia's position on the principles of resolving the conflict remains unchanged.

He referred to a proposal made by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, stating that every political and diplomatic process must take into account Russia's legitimate interests, including security issues.

"We prefer political and diplomatic ways, but we will be able to achieve our goals in any situation," he said.

The diplomat also linked what he called "instability" in the statements of US officials with Kyiv's "chronic inability" to negotiate.

Fadeev criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's latest attempt to gain additional military support from Washington, saying the practical results seemed limited.

In particular, he highlighted discussions on the potential production of Patriot air defense missiles in Ukraine, stating that the establishment of such a production facility could take years and concerns about technology security could hinder the process.

Russia also accused Western countries of encouraging Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

Fadeev pointed out that Western countries are supplying drones and their components to Ukraine, which are then used in attacks on Russian civilians.

The diplomat said Russian law enforcement officers continue to collect evidence for possible criminal proceedings against officials, military personnel, commanders, and foreign citizens of Ukrainian origin accused by Moscow of involvement in the attacks.