MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. Ukraine is apparently seeking to drag out the talks as it thinks that time is on its side, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the Russian delegation to the talks, said on Friday.

"We see, regrettably, that our Ukrainian colleagues are seeking to drag out the talks. They are in no hurry, obviously thinking that time is on their side, and say it openly that they have many decision-making centers they have to agree these or those solutions with. This is the reality we are in," he said.

According to Medinsky, in the course of talks, the Ukrainian side now and then takes time to think, to consult with third parties. "Regrettably, as far as we understand - they make no secret of it, they are limited in making independent decisions. So, the current state of things inspires little optimism," he stressed, adding he doesn’t share the Ukrainian delegation’s optimism, when it speaks about "great progress." "So far, there is no progress on matters of principal importance the Russian side insists on," he noted.