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Russia-Ukraine negotiations continue, but slowly and ineffectively — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia appreciated and was grateful for the efforts of Turkish colleagues and for their creating the necessary conditions for a meeting in Istanbul

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Negotiations continue between Russia and Ukraine, but they are quite ineffective, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

When asked to comment on words of EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell that the European Union could not act as a mediator in the talks between Moscow and Kiev, but Turkey could take on this role, Peskov said "the process of negotiations began without mediators and it continues without mediators quite sluggishly and ineffectively". "However, we appreciate and are grateful for the efforts of our Turkish colleagues, for their creating the necessary conditions for a meeting in Istanbul," he added.

The spokesman stressed that "the understanding that we need was even achieved" in Istanbul, "but was then disavowed by the Ukrainian side". Peskov declined to give assessment of the future of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. "No, I cannot [give the assessment], we can only state what we have," he noted.

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