“There’s no expectation right now that either side is ready to negotiate,” White House National Security Council (NSC) Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a regular online briefing for journalists, commenting on the situation around Ukraine.
On December 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with TASS that Moscow is open to talks on Ukraine, but any agreements must be structured in a way that prevents them from being violated. Lavrov highlighted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had outlined Moscow’s stance on the conflict resolution during his year-end press conference. “We have always been and remain ready for negotiations. I want to emphasize that we can only discuss reliable, legally binding agreements that address the root causes of the conflict and include mechanisms to prevent violations,” Lavrov said.
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