Situation has reached an impasse, Kyiv has abandoned Istanbul agreements: Putin

Kyiv, by withdrawing from the agreements reached during the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, has returned the process to an impasse. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference following talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to TASS.

“In Istanbul, we reached certain agreements at a specific level, which consisted of security guarantees for Ukraine... so that they would not extend to the territories of Crimea, Sevastopol, and Donbas. Subsequently, as you saw, we took actions to create conditions for the continuation of the negotiation process. Instead, we encountered provocation in Bucha, and, most importantly, the Ukrainian side retreated from its agreements in Istanbul. Now, security demands are one thing, while the issues surrounding the regulation of relations regarding Crimea, Sevastopol, and Donbas have gone beyond those agreements. In other words, we have again returned to a deadlock situation for ourselves and for everyone,” Putin stated.

The President of the Russian Federation mentioned that he had been informed about a new change in Ukraine's negotiating position. “Indeed, I was told that the Ukrainian side changed something again last night. I do not yet know what those changes are,” Putin told reporters after talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday.