Russia's refusal to negotiate after Kursk invasion

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- After Ukraine invades the Kursk region, there will be no possibility of conducting negotiations with Kyiv; Russia will present its assessment of this situation - said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that "the president (of Russia – ed.) said very clearly that after the beginning of the attacks on the Kursk region, not even an attack but an invasion of the territory of the Kursk region, there can be no talk of any negotiations. The president also said a very important sentence that I would like to draw attention to: "We will certainly assess this situation somewhat later" - said Lavrov.

Lavrov also commented on the alleged "hidden contacts" between Moscow and Kyiv.

- Recently, there have been rumors about some hidden contacts to prepare negotiations regarding energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine through Qatar. There have also been rumors that our Turkish neighbors plan to somehow mediate in the field of food security, but in the context of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. You understand the potential goal of such an idea, - said Lavrov.

The minister explained that these communications are published following the Swiss conference on Ukraine, during which it was decided to establish working groups on energy, food security, and humanitarian issues.

The same position was expressed by Putin's advisor Yuri Ushakov.

- Considering this adventure (in the Kursk region), we will not talk, - said Ushakov. He explained that "it would be inappropriate to start the negotiation process in this context." When asked how long the break before deciding on negotiations with Kyiv could last, Putin's advisor replied that "it depends on the situation. Also, on the field."

Putin first announced the conditions for starting peace negotiations with Ukraine on June 14. They include Kyiv's agreement to a neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free status and the recognition of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions as part of Russia. At the same time, Putin demanded the lifting of all sanctions against Russia by the West.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called these conditions an ultimatum. Kyiv insists on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country's territory, as well as a return to the 1991 borders, which includes, among other things, the refusal to annex Crimea by Russia.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine first invaded the territory of Russia on August 6 and occupied over 386 square miles (1,000 square kilometers), as well as about 80 settlements in the Kursk region. This is the first time since World War II that a foreign army has invaded the territory of the Russian Federation.

After the unprecedented attack, Putin excluded negotiations with Kyiv, promising to oust the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the territory of Russia. On the other hand, the Office of the President of Ukraine considered strengthening its position in the upcoming negotiations as the goal of the invasion of the Kursk region by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

As reported by "The Washington Post," "secret negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations" were supposed to take place in August in the capital of Qatar, Doha, during which it was planned to agree on "non-attacks on energy facilities." However, this meeting was disrupted by the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is probably what Lavrov also referred to as "hidden contacts."