China News Service, March 10 (Xinhua) According to a comprehensive report, on March 10, local time, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba held talks in Antalya, Turkey.
This is the highest-level meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine.
The talks that day lasted about 90 minutes.
Both sides said after the talks that a decision on the ceasefire had not been reached.
Kuleba described that "the talks with Lavrov were very difficult" and stressed that "Ukraine has not surrendered and will not surrender."
Image source: Web page screenshot
Ukraine's foreign minister: Will not surrender
This round of Russia-Ukraine talks was mediated by Turkey. Before that, Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu met with Kuleba and Lavrov respectively.
Kuleba held a press conference after the Russia-Ukraine talks, reiterating that "Ukraine has not surrendered and will not surrender."
He said the two sides discussed opening humanitarian access and a ceasefire mechanism.
The two sides failed to make a decision on the ceasefire issue, and the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov were very difficult.
However, Kuleba also said the talks agreed to continue efforts to find a humanitarian solution.
If substantive discussions are possible, he is prepared to meet with Lavrov again.
Russian Foreign Minister: Sending weapons to Ukraine is dangerous
Lavrov told a news conference after the talks that he discussed humanitarian issues with Kuleba and the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Image source: Web page screenshot
He accused Ukraine's "nationalists" of using civilians as "human shields".
He also said that it is dangerous for foreign countries to provide weapons to Ukraine. "Those who send weapons to Ukraine and send mercenaries must be aware of their responsibilities."
Lavrov re-emphasized that Russia wants Ukraine to remain neutral and is ready to discuss its security guarantees.
Lavrov also said on the same day that Russia "does not intend to attack other countries", "We also did not invade Ukraine, we have explained many times, this is because Russia's security is directly threatened."
In response to a question about sanctions, Lavrov said Russia would never want to depend on the United States for anything else in the future.
Russia will take steps to ensure the United States does not disrupt the Russian economy.
Recently, issues such as the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have attracted much attention from the outside world. Lavrov proposed that experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Russia and Ukraine conduct tripartite consultations on nuclear safety issues.