Member of the Russian diplomatic team Leonid Slutsky stated on Thursday that negotiations with Ukraine are "difficult" because "Ukrainian counterparts agree, and then roll back." Slutsky, who is also chairman of the Committee on International Affairs in the State Duma, claimed Moscow is "trying to do everything possible" both to support Russia's operations in Ukraine and to negotiate a deal.
On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed doubts the talks can succeed without the involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he still stressed the importance of continued negotiations.
