Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he "does not listen" to Ukraine's statements about peace talks, claiming recent comments from senior Kyiv officials have been contradictory.
Speaking to journalists at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos on July 27, Lavrov dismissed comments made earlier this week by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who said China's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity was "unshakeable."
"China has unshakably reaffirmed its respect for the principle of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Kuleba said in a video post on Instagram on July 25.
Lavrov dismissed the comments, saying it was "not… the first time" Kuleba had said this and that he has "sometimes said completely opposite things."
"Not long ago they were talking about negotiations," Lavrov said in comments reported by AFP, adding: "(Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky talked of readiness to finally sit at a table with Russian representatives."
"I don't listen to them, to be honest," Lavrov said.
Lavrov's dismissive comments contrast with Russian authorities' repeated claims that they are open to peace negotiations.
Kuleba's comments were made during a trip to China earlier this week during which he held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Lavrov said he had met with Wang at the ASEAN meeting and discussed Kuleba's visit, insisting that his sense was that "the Chinese position remains unchanged," saying China insists any peace talk format must be "acceptable to all sides."
China has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war but has simultaneously deepened economic ties with Moscow. It has also become Russia's leading source of dual-use goods, providing equipment the Russian defense industry can use in its attacks against Ukraine.
Speaking after the Guangzhou talks, Zelensky said in his evening address on July 24 that China promised not to supply Russia with weapons and signaled its support for Ukrainian sovereignty.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Kuleba affirmed in the meeting that Kyiv is ready to hold peace negotiations when Moscow "is ready to negotiate in good faith."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also acknowledged that "conditions and timing are not yet ripe" for ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but said it is "willing to play a constructive role" in peace efforts.
Kuleba said that during the talks, he emphasized the importance of avoiding temporary solutions and ultimatums in future peace negotiations.
"Ukraine will never bend a single centimeter if anyone, regardless of where they come from, tries to speak to us in the language of ultimatums," he said.
Chris York
