Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Ukraine's desire to hold special talks in Mariupol a "theatrical gesture" and said that Russia was still waiting for a response to its proposals allegedly given to Kyiv 10 days ago.
Source: Lavrov at a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Moscow on April 26
Lavrov's direct speech: "I heard about such a theatrically presented proposal of the Ukrainian team - the team that communicated with our negotiators both in Belarus, and in Turkey, and then by video conference - to hold another meeting in Mariupol right outside the walls of Azovstal. What can I say? A theatrical gesture.
Details: According to Lavrov, the Ukrainians in this way "wanted another kind of heartbreaking scene to stage."
"If we are talking about a serious attitude to work within the framework of negotiations, it would be better if they responded to our proposals, which have been on their side for more than 10 days, and of which, as it turns out, Zelensky has not even heard," Lavrov concluded.
Background:
On April 20, representatives of the Ukrainian delegation to the negotiations with the Russian Federation, MP David Arahamiya and advisor to the head of the UOC Mikhail Podolyak confirmed that they were ready to go to Mariupol for talks with the Russian side, but the Russian Federation has not yet responded to the proposal.
On April 24, Podolyak stated that Russian troops were continuously attacking the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, with Ukrainian defenders and civilians in the dungeons, and proposed special talks with the Russian Federation.
On April 21, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu lied to the aggressor country's president Vladimir Putin about the "liberation of Mariupol," but then added that "over two thousand" Ukrainian defenders remained in the city.
Later, the so-called "head of the DNR," Denis Pushilin, established a "medal" for the "liberation of Mariupol," with a date of April 21 on it.
Mariupol has been under siege since March 1. But the defenders of Mariupol provide heroic resistance to the enemy. Even though the Azov and Marines are in a very difficult situation, they continue to destroy the enemy's equipment and manpower.
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