He said Ukraine does not refuse negotiations but these negotiations should be based on a certain number of principles: respect for the UN Charter, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, the rule of law, compensation for damage, and guarantees that such a conflict will not occur in the future.

Nikiforov insisted that the principles he listed are basic and suitable for any situation and concluded that if negotiations are based on these principles, Ukraine will consider the possibility of such negotiations very seriously.

Since Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine began late last February, Moscow and Kyiv have held several rounds of negotiations but without any specific results. Both sides accused the other of disrupting the dialogues.