Moscow expresses its readiness for a serious dialogue on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, based on the provisions of the Istanbul document of 2022. This was announced by the head of the second department of the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexei Polishchuk in an interview with TASS.

Polischuk emphasized that the Russian side is open to realistic proposals and is ready for meaningful discussion. He noted that a peaceful settlement is possible on the basis of the Istanbul agreements, which provide for a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status for Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification, as well as a refusal to deploy foreign troops and military bases on its territory.

The diplomat also pointed to the need to resolve legal issues before the start of negotiations, including the decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky banning negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Polischuk stressed that such legal aspects must be resolved to advance the peace process.

Earlier it was reported that many countries expressed their willingness to provide venues for possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Polischuk noted that Russia has no shortage of such offers, mentioning that some countries have already provided venues for negotiations, including Belarus. However, he emphasized that the key issue is not the venue for the negotiations, but their content and the parties involved in the dialogue.

Recall that after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations held several rounds of talks in Belarus and Turkey. During these meetings, various aspects of a possible settlement of the conflict were discussed, including Ukraine's neutral status and security guarantees. However, the talks were suspended in May 2022 after the publication of footage from Bucha.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that while Moscow considers Volodymyr Zelensky to be an illegitimate leader of Ukraine, Russia is ready to negotiate with "anyone" if Ukraine so desires.