Antony Blinken says Ukraine is ready for talks. Russia responds

The United States is confident that Ukraine will be ready to negotiate with Russia if Moscow makes such a proposal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Washington will support Kyiv and join the negotiations, the official added. The conflict must end on fair and sustainable terms that will reflect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Antony Blinken said.

However, the USA does not see believe that Moscow is interested in a diplomatic resolution of the conflict, he added.

"Everyone wants this war to end, but it has to end on just terms and on durable terms that reflect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Blinken told Jonathan Karl of ABC.

"As to negotiations, it takes two to tango. And thus far, we see no indication that Vladimir Putin has any interest in meaningful diplomacy. If he does, I think the Ukrainians will be the first to engage, and we'll be right behind them. Everyone wants this war to end, but it has to end on just terms and on durable terms that reflect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he also said.

Western observers: Peace talks with Russia inevitable

French politician and publicist Luc Ferry said earlier that negotiations with Russia were becoming an inevitable outcome due to the failure of the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kyiv's counteroffensive was unsuccessful despite multi-billion dollar military support from the West, the French publicist believes. He also supported Sarkozy's opinion who said that Ukraine was a bridge between Russia and the West.

Richard Balfe, a member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament, also said that the talks between Russia and Ukraine were inevitable due to the fact that Ukraine and Russia were geographical neighbours. The talks between Moscow and Kyiv will begin when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wants it, he said.

Ukraine says no peace talks can be possible

Interestingly, however, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, excluded peace negotiations with Russia. According to him, Kyiv will not negotiate while Russian President Vladimir Putin remains in power. In addition, Ukraine will think about negotiations only if the Russian troops start suffering serious losses at the front, Podolyak noted.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba also said that Kyiv did not see a possibility of talks with Moscow in the near future. Ukraine can hear such calls, but it will ignore them, he admitted.

On July 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that negotiations with Russia could be possible only if Ukraine retrieves its internationally recognised borders. According to Zelensky, it goes about the 1991 borders that include not only the southeast of the country, but also Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia never refused negotiations with Kyiv. At the same time, no one discussed new peace initiatives with Moscow on the Ukraine crisis, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Western countries need to take Russia's interests into account for the peace talks to start. Russia does not refuse to talk, Lavrov stressed.

Russia will not ask Ukraine for talks

Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, commented on Antony Blinken's remarks on Ukraine's readiness for peace talks. Russia will not ask Ukraine for negotiations, Dzhabarov said.

"Blinken's statement demonstrates that Ukraine is ready to do a favour and negotiate with Russia if we ask Ukraine for it. I think that Russia will not ask for negotiations,” Dzhabarov told lenta.ru publication.

At the same time, Moscow might be ready to consider the idea of negotiations if the other side puts forward other conditions.

"We know the current conditions of Ukraine; they are unacceptable for us, in particular, the demand to go back to the 1991 borders,” the senator said.