The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the personal exclusion of Europe from the negotiations on Ukraine

Europe has itself excluded itself from participating in the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. This was stated to journalists by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky on February 20.

"Europe, if we consider its collective body, with its own policies and its own actions, has personally crossed out the possibility of its participation directly at the negotiating table," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Lubinsky also said that the choice of Geneva as a venue for negotiations was made for logistical reasons. He noted that Russia's attitude towards Switzerland's neutrality remained the same and that "in a fundamental sense, there was nothing left of it."

Geneva Express: negotiators have moved from technical issues to politics

However, key differences remain — what do the parties say about the discussions?

Yesterday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia sees no point in the participation of European representatives in the negotiations on Ukraine, as their statements contribute to the continuation of the conflict. He noted that Europe is not represented at the negotiations by anyone and that the overwhelming majority of the points of view of the European authorities contribute to the continuation of the conflict, rather than attempts at a peaceful settlement.

The head of the Russian delegation, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, said after two days of meetings on February 18 in Geneva that the negotiations between Russia, the United States and Ukraine were difficult, but businesslike. The special Envoy of the American president, Steven Witkoff, also said that the parties had made significant progress during the discussions.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.