Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia insists on direct dialogue between Ukraine and the occupying authorities of the so-called L/DPR. According to him, a dialogue with them is impossible because the status of the Russian Federation will change from a party to the conflict to a mediator.
About this the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at a briefing.
"The key issue yesterday was a direct dialogue between Ukraine and the DNR. Russia insists that Ukraine has a direct dialogue with the so-called "L/DPR". If Ukraine does this, then Russia's status as a party to the conflict will change to that of a mediator. That is why we are not going for it," he said.
Dmitry Kuleba also commented on the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about the "recommendations" of the Russian diplomatic mission to leave Ukraine for "safety. He called these statements a game of narratives.
"This statement must be seen in the context of the narratives spread by Russia that Ukraine is preparing some aggressive actions. They are trying in this way to demonstrate that their diplomats are in danger and need protection. This is all a game of narratives and a fight to see who will win in the game called 'who is to blame'," the minister said.
Also at a briefing, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba voiced five positions on the OSCE activities.
According to the Minister, Ukraine is interested in granting the SMM access to the occupied territories. It is also important for Ukraine to make efforts for the SMM to resume surveillance by long-range drones. According to Dmytro Kuleba, it is also necessary to increase the number of forward OSCE patrol bases in the occupied territories.
Ukraine believes that it is time for the SMM to prepare a thematic report on the passportization of the Russian Federation in the ORDLO. The international response to this problem is insufficient.
As a reminder, earlier Kuleba named four directions of deterrence of the Russian Federation amid the threat of invasion of Ukraine. He urged to focus on them.
