Russia accuses US of hindering Ukraine talks, says America wants to pump up Ukraine with weapons

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday accused the United States of wanting to hinder Moscow's talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the almost month-long conflict, AFP reported.

"The talks are tough, the Ukrainian side constantly changes its position. It's hard to avoid the impression that our American colleagues are holding their hand," Lavrov told students in Moscow.

Adding that the Americans simply see it as disadvantageous for them for this process to finish swiftly, Lavrov claimed that the US is counting on continuing to pump up Ukraine with weapons.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered direct peace talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late on Monday, saying that the status of disputed territories could be up for debate and a possible referendum.

Zelenskyy told local media that he was ready to meet Putin “in any format” to discuss ending the almost one-month-old war. According to media reports, Zelenskyy said even the status of Russian-occupied Crimea and Russian-backed statelets in Donbas was up for debate.

“At the first meeting with the president of Russia, I am ready to raise these issues,” the Ukrainian President said.

“If I have this opportunity and Russia has the desire, we would go through all the questions,” he told Ukrainian journalists in an interview

Nearly a month into the conflict, there has been little progress in talks between the two sides, and Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged direct discussions with his Russian counterpart.

Notably, more than 3.3 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the invasion and nearly 6.5 million are thought to be internally displaced within the country, the UN refugee agency has said, whereas, according to the UN records, 925 civilian deaths, including 75 children since the invasion began.

(with agency inputs)

Published on: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 04:24 PM IST