Zakharova affirmed at her weekly press briefing, “Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that we are committed to the negotiation process. We were committed before, and we continue to consider diplomacy a real tool for resolving the conflict.”

The spokeswoman continued, “Given that the Kiev regime is not prepared for this, Russia will achieve the goals of the military operation by military means, resolving the tasks on the ground, as is currently happening.”

The negotiating teams from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have held three rounds of talks this year in an attempt to find a political solution to the crisis.

The first two rounds were held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January and early February, respectively, and the third round took place in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 17 and 18.

Russian forces have been conducting a special military operation since February 24, 2022, to halt Ukrainian shelling of civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk, two territories that gained independence from Ukraine in 2014 and joined Russia in September 2022 after holding referendums.

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