Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, stated that negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine may commence “in the near future,” if Russia finds the U.S. proposals satisfactory. “We see the goodwill of the new U.S. leadership, particularly President [Donald] Trump. This goodwill is being expressed through representatives of the United States at the Munich Security Conference. Let’s see. If the proposals for negotiations are serious and meet our needs, then such negotiations can begin in the near future,” TASS quoted him as saying.
Slutsky emphasized that “Russia was, is, and will be ready for negotiations,” including discussions with the Ukrainian authorities, if they are legitimate representatives willing to consider Russian conditions. He reiterated that Russia’s position remains “steadfast”: denazification, demilitarization, and Ukraine’s non-aligned status. He stressed that the resolution of any confrontation must occur at the negotiating table.
