VIENNA, January 25. /TASS/. Russia has never closed the door to conducting a dialogue on Ukraine, but Moscow has not seen a constructive approach from its opponents, Russian Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander Lukashevich said at a special plenary meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

"It should be noted that Russia has never closed the door to holding a meaningful, effective dialogue on finding ways to reduce tension and prevent confrontation. Regarding Ukraine, we have always been ready for a political and diplomatic process based on eliminating the roots of the tragedy caused by the coup in Kiev in February 2014, rather than on some unrealistic ‘formulas,’ as represented by the West's ultimatums to our country," Lukashevich stressed.

According to the diplomat, given the current situation, such dialogue should be geared toward "ensuring that Ukraine and Ukrainians are no longer used as a tool of NATO members in their struggle against Russia." "The solution should be sustainable and prevent the conflict from escalating with renewed vigor. This attitude on the part of Moscow has not been met with a mutual and constructive willingness from its opponents thus far," the Russian representative said.