KIEV, February 1. /TASS/. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said his country was ready for constructive negotiations with Russia on the condition that Moscow takes the first step.
"Ukraine is ready for constructive negotiations, but no one will put pressure on us, no on will force us to do anything, because Ukraine has already done enough for peace," he said. "It’s up to Russia to make a move now."
The Ukrainian top diplomat added that it was Russia who "must make concessions" now, without elaborating on measures that Kiev was expecting from its neighbor.
"Our goal - and we are saying it frankly to our partners - is to compel Russia to make concessions, the time has come for it to make concessions and demonstrate its genuine interest in achieving peace," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on many occasions before that Russia was not a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The West and Kiev have recently been echoing allegations about Russia’s potential invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov castigated these claims as "empty and unfounded", serving as a ploy to escalate tensions, pointing out that Russia did not pose any threat whatsoever to anyone. However, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations aimed at justifying such claims and warned that attempts to use military force to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine would have serious consequences.