TIANJIN /China/, July 15. /TASS/. The Russian and Ukrainian draft memorandums on resolving the conflict are fundamentally opposed, but that doesn’t mean that a dialogue can’t ensue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers.
"Our delegation handed over a draft agreement in the form of a memorandum at the second round of talks, and the Ukrainians handed over their own draft memorandum. They are indeed contradictory," the top Russian diplomat noted.
Lavrov pointed out that at US request, Russia discussed its vision of a solution to the Ukraine conflict at the expert level. "Even though we hold completely different positions, we still were able to agree on a solution in Istanbul in April 2022. It wasn’t just about a ceasefire but about the principles of a settlement that had been proposed by Ukraine and accepted by Russia," the top diplomat stressed. "The document was initialed and the parties agreed to start working on an accord, but then, the Britons - most likely with US consent - prohibited the Ukrainians from signing the document," Lavrov added.
"This is just one example that makes it clear that despite the different and even contradictory positions, there is always room for conversation," Lavrov concluded.