BEIJING, December 12. /TASS/. Russia is ready to resume talks with Ukraine, but only if Kiev recognizes the realities on the ground and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposals, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and Chairman of the United Russia party Dmitry Medvedev told reporters.
"We are ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine, but only if Kiev acknowledges the realities on the ground and the proposals outlined by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin during his speech at the Foreign Ministry this year," he said.
Medvedev went on to say that the topics of Ukraine and Syria were raised during his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "Of course, we also discussed how to further develop our relations, taking into account the changes in international politics. We touched upon the most significant events on the international agenda, including some recent developments, such as the Syrian crisis," the deputy chairman said. "Of course, we also discussed the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the ongoing conflict," he added.
According to Medvedev, Xi "outlined China’s ideas of a possible settlement." "As you know, we favor these proposals," he added. "But there were other issues of mutual interest to our countries and to our parties," the politician concluded.
At a meeting with the Foreign Ministry on June 14, Putin set out the country’s conditions for resolving the situation in Ukraine. Among them are the withdrawal of the Ukrainian armed forces from Donbass and Novorossiya and Kiev’s refusal to join NATO. In addition, Russia wants all Western sanctions against it lifted and demands that Ukraine commit to a non-aligned and nuclear-free status. The rights, freedoms, and interests of its Russian-speaking population need to be ensured, too.