MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Kiev may have changed its rhetoric on the prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, but it is not actually ready for negotiations because the US hasn’t given its blessing for this, former Ukrainian Prime Minister (2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov opined.

"The decree [banning talks with Russia during Vladimir Putin's presidency] has not been canceled, [President Vladimir Zelensky's Philadelphia Inquirer] interview does not change this. <...> I see no serious shift in position. The Americans give the final okay, and they have not yet given this okay for negotiations. All these rantings by Zelensky are just a change in rhetoric," Azarov said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel, commenting on Zelensky’s words on the possibility of mediated talks with Russia.

The former prime minister believes that Western countries are looking at the political landscape (elections in France, in the UK and in the US), and are telling Kiev to tone down its rhetoric owing to this. "I do not think that this came from the top, from [US President Joe] Biden, it came from lower, some middle level, where they decided that the situation in the world is such that it is necessary to move from military rhetoric to a peaceful one," Azarov added.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the decision on the settlement of the conflict is not up to Kiev. "It is necessary to reach an agreement between the hosts of this regime - the US and Russia," the former prime minister said.

Earlier, Zelensky said that Kiev did not want the conflict to drag on and intended to outline its plan to resolve it by the end of the year. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia remained open for any dialogue on Ukraine, including with the participation of mediators, as long as its goals are achieved.