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'Ball in Kiev’s court' for holding Russia-Ukraine talks on settling conflict, Lavrov says

The top diplomat pointed out that contrary to Moscow's repeatedly expressed readiness to discuss ways of resolving the conflict, the Ukrainian regime adopted the decree to ban negotiations with the Russian government

MOSCOW, September 15. /TASS/. Kiev should be the party organizing any negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"The ball is not in our court at all. All the balls, and there are many of them, have been in the Kiev regime’s court for a long time now," he said at a roundtable discussion on a potential settlement to the Ukrainian crisis.

The top diplomat pointed out that "Russia has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine," but contrary to Moscow's repeatedly expressed readiness to discuss ways of resolving the conflict, "the Ukrainian regime adopted a decree signed by [President Vladimir] Zelensky a year ago prohibiting negotiations with anyone from the Russian government." "I very much expect that the countries that are approaching us with initiatives to start negotiations are aware of this ban," he added.

At the same time, Lavrov expressed doubt that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took it upon himself to claim that the whole problem lies in Russia's refusal to come to the negotiating table and that as soon as Russia comes to the negotiating table, Ukraine will immediately agree to do the same and the US will support it.

According to the Russian foreign minister, Blinken's statement does not correspond to the formula "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" that the West has been insisting on so far. "Blinken actually told the Ukrainians what the US wants from them," the top diplomat summed up.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov United States

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