Russia ready for talks with Ukraine, high-ranking source says

A high-ranking source said that Russia was ready for negotiations with Ukraine, the Izvestia newspaper said. The talks may take place in Hungary or on the territory of another Western country. The West and Ukraine should be prepared for a constructive conversation — Moscow sees that as an important condition for the talks to start.

"We are not going to run after anyone,” the unnamed source told the authoritative newspaper.

Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, believes that Kyiv is currently striving to follow instructions from the West to fight to the last Ukrainian.

Kyiv is "virtually not a subject." For this reason, the official believes, the Kyiv administration banned itself from talking to Moscow. In turn, the West ensures the conflict to continue and does not demonstrate a desire for dialogue.

Russia-Ukraine talks may take place in Hungary

In October, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced his readiness to host Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Hungary will host the talks without hesitation should such a request arrive, he noted. According to Szijjártó, a few days after the crisis began, he spoke with both Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the head of Zelensky's administration, Andrii Yermak.

In November, Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said that a truce and the start of peace negotiations with Russia would be the best solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

Blanar noted that the world was tired with the crisis in Ukraine. There is no military solution to the crisis, and the crisis was not moving in any direction, the Slovakian Foreign Minister said.

In December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he could hear voices in the West encouraging Ukraine to sit down at a table of negotiations with Russia. At the same time, he did not feel pressure regarding negotiations on a peace agreement with Russia, he added.

In November, Zelensky ruled out the idea of negotiations with Russia completely despite the difficult situation at the front.

Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky said that during negotiations with Ukraine in 2022 that Moscow wanted to defend the Donbass, demanded Ukraine's neutrality and non-entry into NATO. Moscow also demanded recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbass republics, Medinsky said.