‘Russia expects everyone to support the new round of direct talks,’ FM Lavrov said.

On Wednesday, Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said that his country is ready to begin negotiations with Ukraine on the content of a conflict settlement memorandum and the terms of a cease-fire.

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“I have seen reports from various news agencies suggesting that Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov called me about the memorandum, which they claim has not yet been prepared, and that Russia is in no rush. It was the other way around,” Medinsky said.

“Today I reached out to Umerov to offer the exact date and location for the meeting where we will exchange memoranda and engage in meaningful, substantive discussions on each point of the proposed cease-fire package,” he said.

Shortly afterward, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country has proposed June 2 in Istanbul as the date for the meeting with Ukraine.

“Russia expects everyone to support the new round of direct talks. Moscow’s delegation will still be headed by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky… The Russian side promptly developed the memorandum, outlining its position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis,” he said as reported by the TASS news agency.

Previously, during a phone call on May 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump that they work with Ukraine on a roadmap for a future peace treaty and a list of conditions to declare a cease-fire.

On that point, Medinsky added that Russia “is ready to begin a substantive and essential discussion on each point of the cease-fire agreement package.”

The Russian negotiator emphasized that current efforts are being made “in the interest of lasting peace and the saving of human lives.” He also noted that Moscow is awaiting confirmation from Ukraine on its willingness to “meet in person in the coming days and begin working.”

Previously, however, the Kremlin had expressed doubts about holding a second round of negotiations due to an agreement under which Germany would assist Ukraine in producing long-range weaponry.

Since the first round of negotiations held May 16 in Istanbul, both sides have engaged in a drone war, with thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles attacking each other’s territories. Last week, Putin decided to create a security zone along the border with Ukraine, which would include the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

During his conversation with Trump, Putin explained that the memorandum will include the different positions on settlement principles and the timeline for signing a possible peace treaty. “This will include a potential cease-fire for a specified period, provided the corresponding agreements are reached,” he said.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – TASS – Sputnik

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