Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday that Ukraine has put forward “unrealistic and inadequate” terms for future peace talks.
Lavrov said he spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G20 summit in Bali, where he reiterated accusations that Kyiv “categorically refuses” negotiations with Moscow.
“I reminded him that all the problems are on the Ukrainian side, which categorically refuses any negotiations and puts forward terms that are obviously unrealistic and inadequate,” Lavrov told reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the G20 via video link earlier Tuesday, where he presented a 10-point peace plan to end Russia’s invasion. In addition to safety guarantees, the plan reportedly includes proposals for a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes.
President Vladimir Putin’s delegate at the summit, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, remained in his seat throughout Zelensky’s address, two diplomatic sources told AFP.
Speaking with reporters later, Lavrov said Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly confirmed their readiness to negotiate peace amid continuing battlefield setbacks suffered by the Russian military.
“If anyone is refusing, it is Ukraine. The longer it refuses, the more difficult it will be to reach an agreement,” Lavrov said.
The Kremlin meanwhile said Russia’s “special military operation” will continue, blaming Ukraine for its “factual and legal” unwillingness to negotiate.
AFP contributed reporting.
