Russia Has Not Rejected Talks With Ukraine – Russian Foreign Ministry
07:40 GMT 24.01.2026 (Updated: 09:30 GMT 24.01.2026)
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has never rejected talks with Ukraine and is interested in resolving the crisis through political and diplomatic means, Alexey Polishchuk, director of the Second CIS Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik.
"We have never refused to negotiate with Ukraine and are sincerely interested in resolving the crisis through political and diplomatic means," he said.
Polishchuk said Russia's position on a comprehensive, fair, and long-term settlement is well known.
"It is based on the principles voiced by Russian President [Vladimir Putin] in June 2024, which remain relevant," he said.
The main issue is not the venue of talks on Ukraine, but the content and political will to reach agreements, Alexey Polishchuk added.
"Currently the issue is not posed in this way. The main thing is not so much the venue, but the content of the talks and the political will to reach agreements," Polischuk said.
US representatives came to Moscow this week to personally brief the Russian leadership on the results of their contacts with Ukraine and the European Union, Aleksey Polishchuk said.
Late on Thursday, the US delegation, headed by special envoy Steve Witkoff, arrived at the Kremlin for the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev took part in the talks. Affinity Partners founder, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum also participated in the negotiations, which lasted about four hours.
"American representatives came to Moscow on January 22-23 to personally brief the Russian leadership on the results of their contacts with Ukrainians and Europeans and to jointly determine the parameters for further actions," Polishchuk told Sputnik, adding that "the meeting was useful in every sense for both sides."
Following the visit of the US delegation to Moscow earlier this week, Aleksey Polishchuk added that contacts on Ukraine were expected to continue.
"It was agreed that contacts on the Ukrainian issue would continue at various levels. Thus, the negotiating situation is in a fairly fluid state," Polishchuk said.
Russia aims to continue dialogue on the implementation of the results of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Aleksey Polishchuk said.
"During such contacts, the Russian side relies on the well-known positions outlined by the Russian President in June 2024 and the compromise understandings reached in Alaska in August 2025," Polishchuk told Sputnik, adding that Moscow is set to "continue the dialogue on the implementation of the results of Anchorage."
On August 15, Putin and Trump met in Alaska to discuss ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Both leaders described the Anchorage meeting as positive. Following the summit, the Russian president said that it was possible to reach an end to the conflict in Ukraine and emphasized Russia's interest in a long-term settlement.
Russia appreciates the peace initiatives proposed by China, Brazil, the United States, African and Arab states on Ukraine and is grateful to everyone who provided a platform for a Ukrainian settlement, Polishchuk said.
"The last contacts, this time through the military, as is known, took place in Abu Dhabi. We are grateful to everyone who provides a platform and mediation on various aspects of the settlement, from military and political to humanitarian issues," Polishchuk said, specifying that Russia extends its gratitude towards Belarus, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Vatican and others countries.
"We appreciate the peace initiatives of China, Brazil, African and Arab states, the energetic efforts of the US leadership, and the sincere intentions of the 'Friends of Peace' group in New York," he added.
