MOSCOW: The Russian and Ukrainian draft memorandums are deeply at odds, and a short-term alignment of positions on conflict resolution rem...
MOSCOW: The Russian and Ukrainian draft memorandums are deeply at odds, and a short-term alignment of positions on conflict resolution remains unlikely, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"The current approaches to the draft memorandums exchanged during the second round [of talks] are diametrically opposed. They can hardly be reconciled overnight. This will require extremely complex diplomatic work," Peskov said when asked about the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky before the end of August.
On July 23, Moscow and Kiev held the third round of direct talks on the Ukraine settlement in Istanbul. Before a collective meeting, delegation heads, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, held a one-on-one conversation. The collective meeting lasted about 40 minutes during which both sides reviewed the positions outlined in draft memorandums.
Following the meeting, the sides agreed to exchange not only servicemen but also civilians. Russia proposed to Ukraine to create three online working groups to resolve political, military and humanitarian issues. Additionally, Moscow offered to return another 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen to the Kiev regime and to resume brief humanitarian pauses on the line of engagement in order to collect those killed and injured.
-News Feed
COMMENTS