The Russian Foreign Ministry revealed a change in Ukraine's position on the negotiations

Ukraine's approaches to negotiations with Russia have become tougher compared to 2022. Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said this on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) on Friday, June 5.

"In 2025, the approaches of the Ukrainian delegation have become tougher. During the resumed talks in Istanbul, the representatives were determined to discuss only humanitarian issues," he said in an interview. Lenta.Ru .

According to the deputy Foreign Minister, the Ukrainian negotiators in 2022 were more willing to compromise. In particular, they themselves proposed points of principle for Russia, including Ukraine's permanent neutrality, the country's nuclear-weapon-free status, and refusal to join NATO. However, in 2025, the Ukrainian delegation preferred to put all political issues "out of the brackets."

On the same day, Galuzin said that European states should submit concrete proposals to the Russian side for negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement, RT reports. He noted that the Europeans know where to turn for negotiations with Russia, according to the website. kp.ru .

Communication interruption: why the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev remains on pause

At the final press conference in Astana, Putin declared Russia's readiness to resume negotiations and assessed the prospects for ending the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in the Izvestia studio on June 5 at SPIEF 2026 that the lack of dialogue between Russia and Europe was not Moscow's fault, Regnum news agency reports. Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that his country is ready for dialogue, although he does not trust the Europeans who seek to inflict a strategic defeat on it.

At the same time, Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser, who arrived at SPIEF 2026, criticized in an interview with Izvestia the position widespread in the West, according to which negotiations with Russia are possible only after certain requirements are met.