Russia says it still sees no signs that Ukraine and the West are ready for peace talks

On January 24, TASS news agency reported that Russia has not seen any signs that Kiev or the West are ready to engage in peace negotiations. This is what the Russian Foreign Ministry said in response to questions sent before a press conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“Despite numerous loud statements about the need for peace talks, there have been no real steps taken by Kiev or the West to demonstrate real readiness,” the ministry said. “On the contrary, the West continues to supply weapons to the Ukrainian army, issue ultimatums to Russia, the official ban on negotiations remains in effect, and no steps have been taken to resolve the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry also stated that Western countries continue to supply Kiev with advanced and long-range weapons, trainers, communications equipment, and intelligence. "Up to $200 billion has been spent on this. Military aid is coordinated by NATO structures and the specially created Ramstein Group, which includes 55 countries. Such actions absolutely do not create any preconditions for peace negotiations," the ministry stressed.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also cited the lack of legitimacy of the Ukrainian government as a major obstacle to reaching an agreement. "Zelensky's presidential term ended on May 20, 2024. As Russian President Vladimir Putin said, he has ceased to be the legitimate head of state since then and his signature on any documents will have no legal effect," the ministry said. "As for the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), which remains legitimate, there are no signs that it has the political will to reach a peaceful solution."

"Our approach to resolving the conflict remains unchanged - we are ready for dialogue on the basis of the 2022 agreements, taking into account current realities and the positions expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June 2024," the ministry added.

At a high-level meeting with Russian Foreign Ministry officials in mid-June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow’s preconditions for resolving the conflict. These included Ukraine withdrawing its troops from Donbass and Novorossia, abandoning its ambitions to join NATO, and committing to a non-military and non-nuclear status. Moscow also demanded the removal of all sanctions imposed by the West.