MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's decree banning negotiations with Russia should be revoked, Oleg Soskin, formerly an advisor to ex-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, opined.

"Zelensky has decreed that he will not negotiate. The first thing that should be done is to cancel this decree, just plain cancel it. <...> And then <...> negotiating teams should be formed," Soskin said in a video he uploaded to his YouTube channel.

According to the former presidential advisor, the framework for a deal was already initialed in Istanbul, and this can be used to kickstart negotiations. He suggested Budapest or Bratislava as possible venues.

At the same time, the expert said that Vladimir Zelensky’s legitimacy as president was a problem. "The main issue in question now is the following - the presence of Zelensky and the expiration of his term, his illegitimacy," he said, adding that Zelensky had no official standing, and should not be allowed to negotiate. Soskin suggests David Arakhamia, head of the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People party, as a possible negotiator from Ukraine.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly signaled their readiness to negotiate the settlement of the conflict. At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that the main obstacles are the impossibility to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin enshrined in law by Zelensky's decree, as well as Ukrainian initiatives that "testify to official Kiev's complete detachment from present-day realities".

Putin pointed out that Zelensky was no longer legitimate, so it is important to understand "who it is necessary and possible to deal with in order to arrive at the signing of legally binding documents." Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later noted that negotiations with Ukraine are possible, but their outcome must be approved by the legitimate Ukrainian leadership.