President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had received signals from allies about Russia's desire to conduct direct negotiations, RIA Novosti reports.
Speaking to reporters, the Ukrainian president said that he received signals from partners indicating that Russia was ready for dialogue with Ukraine.
"I've been receiving signals from leaders who tell us: we think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants direct talks. And I said: we will offer a public form," Zelensky said, adding that he did not want to negotiate with Russia behind the scenes.
During his speech at the G20 summit in Bali (via a video link), Zelensky said that Kyiv wanted to obtain new and effective security guarantees. Stepping back to the Minsk Accord was impossible, he said. In this regard, he put forward a number of conditions:
Commenting on Zelensky's demands, Vladimir Polyakov, deputy of the People's Council of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), said that Zelensky's "peace formula” was not viable. His proposals will in no way affect the end of hostilities, the official said.
According to the MP, Zelensky decided to put forward such conditions and resume negotiations with Russia after his meeting with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
"One of the main tasks set for Zelensky was to look more negotiable. He early stated that he would not conduct any direct negotiations with Russia," Vladimir Polyakov, deputy of the People's Council of the LPR said.
Meanwhile, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov called Zelensky's conditions ridiculous. The Chechen president suggested his conditions to Kyiv, including the recognition of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol as part of Russia.