Ukraine: Negotiations with Lavrov unsuccessful

Photo: Cem Ozdel / Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP

The talks between Russia’s and Ukraine’s foreign ministers in Turkey did not lead to concrete results. The distance between the descriptions of reality is enormous.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya on Thursday.

After the meeting, Kuleba stated that the discussions about a 24-hour ceasefire were unsuccessful. It was also not possible to agree on the establishment of humanitarian corridors, according to Kuleba.

This is the first meeting between Ukraine and Russia at the ministerial level since Russia began the war in Ukraine two weeks ago.

One and a half hour

Expectations for the meeting have been low. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu chaired the meeting.

The talks lasted an hour and a half, after which the two ministers went their separate ways. There was no joint press conference. Instead, Kuleba and Lavrov spoke to the press separately.

Around the same time, new attacks were reported against the port city of Mariupol, which has been besieged by Russian forces.

According to Kuleba, the Russian demands would entail the capitulation of Ukraine, something he says will never happen.

“I want to repeat that Ukraine has not given up, does not give up, and will not give up,” he said.

Accusations

Lavrov stated at his press conference that the Russian “military operation” in Ukraine is going according to plan. He denies that Russia has attacked Ukraine, and he says that the country does not intend to attack other countries either.

Lavrov also made new allegations that the United States has secret laboratories for the development of biological weapons in Ukraine, allegations that the United States has rejected as pure lies.

Russia has also accused Ukraine of having a nuclear weapons program, which Kuleba called “hallucinations.”

Lavrov stressed that Russia wants Ukraine to be “neutral.” He also said that arms deliveries to Ukraine are dangerous. Lavrov’s statements were disseminated, among other things, via the state-controlled Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Russian media have been under strict restrictions on what they can report on the war in Ukraine. “False claims,” such as calling what is happening in Ukraine a war, can be punished with long prison sentences.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

Do you have a news tip for Norway Today? We want to hear it. Get in touch at [email protected]

Be the first to comment on "Ukraine: Negotiations with Lavrov unsuccessful"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*