Russia has interrupted peace talks with Ukraine, starting an offensive in Donbass - Ambassador

The invasion of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued, despite the preliminary agreements of the parties in Istanbul on the termination of hostilities and withdrawal of troops. The Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar told this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. According to him, Turkish President Recep Erdogan negotiated with Vladimir Zelensky and Russia and convinced the need for peaceful settlement.

"It was thanks to the purely intermediary functions of the Turkish side that these negotiations managed to conduct these negotiations," Bodnar said. The diplomat said that at the end of March, Ukraine was expecting a peace agreement with Russia after the negotiations of the parties in Istanbul. However, they were offset after the world learned about the crimes of the Russians in Bucha, Irpen and other cities.

Vasily Bodnar added that negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine were still lasted. However, they were stopped by the Kremlin when it began a new offensive in the Donbass, since the main condition for negotiations in Istanbul was the termination of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian troops. "It was not both Putin and, if we can say so, to the society of Russia, the mass that wants war, blood and in what crimes are only tolerated," the ambassador said.

Bodnar believes that Ukraine and Russia could reach the signing of a peace agreement if the process was developed as it was foreseen in Turkey. However, this is unlikely to be possible under the current conditions and after crimes committed by Russian troops. He also considers it unlikely that the Grain Agreement signed in Turkey may expand before the start of new peace talks. We will remind, on August 6, Erdogan suggested Putin to meet with Zelensky in Turkey.

Taiip Erdogan believes that the "Ukrainian crisis" can be resolved as a result of negotiations. However, on August 8, the Kremlin head Dmitry Peskov said that the talks of two leaders are now impossible because the Ukrainian delegation "left the radars". Earlier, on August 3, the German excalers Gerhard Schroeder said that he had met in Moscow with Vladimir Putin.