This was stated by Russian Ambassador to Austria Dmitry Lyubinsky in an interview with RIA Novosti.

“As for Vienna as a potential negotiating platform, this is a rhetorical question, at the present stage I completely exclude this,” Lyubinsky said.

He explained that Austria cannot now claim the role of a neutral, independent broker in international affairs.

In October, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Kyiv refused to negotiate, but Moscow would be open to dialogue if the Ukrainian regime "matured."