Russia accuses Britain: Sabotaging Istanbul talks
Following reminders that Turkey was ready to provide a platform for negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia never declined to engage in talks.
He made these remarks at a press conference concluding his engagements at the 3rd Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Lavrov highlighted, according to Sputnik, that Ukraine was the party unwilling and prohibiting negotiations. He noted that after the talks in Istanbul in the spring of 2022, Russia received no serious proposals on the matter.
Responding to inquiries about Russia's potential use of the platform offered by Turkey, Lavrov stated, "Don't ask us. This question has been posed to us many times, including to President Putin. Russia has never refused negotiations. An example is the agreements reached in Istanbul in April 2022. As the head negotiator of the Kiev delegation, Arahamiya, personally admitted, Boris Johnson arrived in Kiev and forbade the Zelenskiy regime from implementing it, telling them to 'continue fighting.'"
Lavrov underscored that after the Istanbul agreements in April 2022, which Kiev refused to honor, no "serious call" for negotiations was directed at the Russian Federation. He defined "serious" as proposals genuinely aiming to ensure the legitimate interests of the involved parties.
