Moscow, Aug 3 (RIA Novosti/GNA) – Moscow is not abandoning negotiations with Ukraine and is ready to consider constructive proposals, including on contact formats, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.
“Russian officials have repeatedly said that we were always open to negotiations. It is the Ukrainian side that has interrupted them and even banned them from happening itself. We have never refused to consider constructive proposals, including on contact formats. Will such ideas be forthcoming? That’s not up to us,” Galuzin told the Izvestia newspaper.
More than five months have passed since the last round of talks in Geneva in February 2026, which included the United States. Meanwhile, Ukrainian diplomats have repeatedly interrupted the settlement process, while other countries were willing to provide a platform for negotiations, Galuzin explained.
For example, Turkey has repeatedly acted as a mediator between Moscow and Kiev, offering a platform for a settlement. The UAE, Qatar, and Switzerland were also considered as diplomatic arenas, although Russian authorities were unsure of the latter’s neutrality.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry told the newspaper that the country was ready to support any diplomatic initiatives “to achieve a lasting peace” and maintains contact with all parties. The foreign ministry clarified that Bern remained available for meetings on the Ukrainian settlement.
At the end of June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow expected dialogue with the United States on Ukraine to continue after the end of the hot phase on the Iranian track. Russia is ready to continue negotiations and discuss all the details and issues raised in Anchorage in August 2025, he added.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow was prepared for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, but had sufficient capabilities to continue a special military operation.
GNA/RIA Novosti