Russia and Ukraine jointly announced the cessation of peace talks, blaming each other

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the opening of the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul (Turkey) on March 29, 2022 – Photo: AFP

“Negotiations are at a standstill” – Mr. Mykhaylo Podolyak, assistant to the President Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, said.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, also Ukraine’s main negotiator in talks with the Russian delegation, said: “Russia’s strategic goal is: have it all or have nothing.”

Podolyak said the Russians failed to understand that the war in Ukraine “no longer plays out according to their rules, timetables or plans”.

Earlier, according to Interfax news agency, at the beginning of May 17, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are not currently being held “of any kind” between the two sides.

Mr. Andrei Rudenko said: “Negotiations no longer continue. In fact Ukraine has abandoned the negotiation process.”

Negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have been held regularly, both in person and by video, since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia met for talks in Turkey in March. This was followed by a meeting of delegations from the two sides in Istanbul, but did not produce concrete results.