Russia considers negotiations with Ukrainians positive

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The Russian government said Thursday that the third round of negotiations with Ukraine was positive, especially on humanitarian issues, although it stated that Russia continues to move forward with its plans to conquer the neighboring country.

"Given the difficult situation caused by the Ukrainian resistance, I repeat once again that it is impossible to expect any kind of progress [in the negotiations] . Therefore, it is appropriate to positively assess the talks regarding humanitarian issues," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told local media.

Peskov then praised the Russian proposals, which were "concrete, constructive, and essential for the citizens of both countries: the continuation of exchanges, the return of civilians who are practically being held hostage, and the continued return of the bodies of dead soldiers."

The Russian spokesman also considered important the Russian suggestion to create three online working groups, "whose work would be as intense and regular as the parties' willingness."

However, the spokesman assured that the Russian army is "doing everything possible to create a security zone" in northern Ukraine and "destroy the military and semi-military infrastructure of the Ukrainian regime," while Kiev "tries to take the war to Russian territory."

In its previous statements, the Kremlin regretted the delay in convening the third round of negotiations with Ukraine , but once they were announced, it expressed skepticism.

"We didn't expect progress. It's difficult to expect any progress," Peskov stated, especially given the "diametrically opposed approaches of the draft memoranda exchanged" in the second round, which took place on June 2.

Russia remains firm in its initial demands, continuing to delay the peace process as it advances into Ukrainian territory.

The third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place on Wednesday in Istanbul, Turkey.

The head of the Russian delegation to the peace talks, Vladimir Medinsky, said on Wednesday that he had proposed to Kiev a truce of "24 to 48 hours" on the front lines and accepted a new prisoner exchange.

The head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, Rustem Umerov, stated that he proposed to Russia during the round of negotiations that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet before the end of August, in the presence of their Turkish and US counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, to promote a negotiated solution to the war. Umerov added that Kyiv also re-proposed a ceasefire that would, at the very least, end attacks on civilian infrastructure.

In the end, the Russian chief negotiator rejected a possible summit between Putin and Zelensky without first reaching a peace agreement.

The last two rounds of talks, on May 16 and June 2, ended without any results regarding a potential ceasefire agreement. Kyiv and Moscow managed to agree on exchanges of prisoners of war and combatant bodies.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in a new phase of the conflict, which began with the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea by the Russians in 2014.