Russia ‘has never avoided direct dialogue’ with Ukraine – deputy FM

Moscow has never avoided direct dialogue with Ukraine, including at the highest level, but such a dialogue needs to be aimed at achieving specific results, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has said.

Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement about his readiness to hold a direct dialogue with his counterpart Vladimir Putin, Rudenko told TASS: “I can confirm that Russia has never avoided direct dialogue.”

The diplomat noted that the two presidents had held dialogues over the phone and at a meeting in Paris in December 2019. “The most important thing for us is to make sure that dialogue is aimed at achieving specific results and not at promoting anyone,” Rudenko added.

Zelensky said earlier this month that resolving the conflict in Donbass, eastern Ukraine, required direct talks with the Russian president.