HANOI, June 21. /TASS/. Russia is ready to negotiate a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict as early as tomorrow, but for this all parties concerned should study its peace proposals, President Vladimir Putin has told the media.
"This proposals from our side are on the table. This does not depend on us when all the actors interested in negotiations will take what’s on the table and get down to negotiating. They can do it tomorrow, but it is up to them when they bother to do it," the Russian leader said.
He added that Russia never rejected the idea of negotiations.
"As I said, we were not the ones who refused to negotiate. The Ukrainian side has forbidden itself to negotiate. Not us," Putin said. "We are in favor of it and have never given up on it, but not on the basis of some ephemeral forms but rather on those agreements <…> that were reached after almost a month and a half of difficult negotiations in Istanbul and Minsk. It is the basis on which we are ready to continue our dialogue with the Ukrainian side."
He added that Russia saw no difference about potential venues.
"It does not matter where they take place: in Minsk, Istanbul or Switzerland," the president said.