The head of Russian diplomacy, who gave an interview to Kompas newspaper, of Indonesia, remembered that direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed in the spring of this year, at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin.

Three rounds of talks were held in Istanbul, and certain progress was made on humanitarian issues: the exchange of prisoners and detainees, and the return of the bodies of those killed.

In addition, each party presented its vision of the conditions for an end to the conflict.

The heads of the delegations are in direct contact. We trust in the continuity of the negotiations, Lavrov stated, and added that a negotiated solution to the crisis in Ukraine remains a priority for Russia.

“I would like to remind you that after the beginning of the special military operation to rescue the inhabitants of Donbas, Kiev requested talks, which we immediately accepted. The negotiations were held from February to April 2022, first in Belarus and then in Turkiye.

Some agreements were signed on “a peaceful solution to the conflict, but Kiev, heeding the advice of its Western patrons, refused to sign the peace treaty, opting instead to continue the war,” Lavrov concluded.

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