Russia says not going to persuade Zelenskyy to lift ban on talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Moscow does not intend to persuade Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy to start a dialogue to settle the conflict.

He made the remarks during a press conference on the results of the work at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, TASS reports.

The minister noted that Kyiv and its Western partners speak with one voice about the need to restore peace in line with Zelenskyy's plan.

The US, the UK and the European Union (EU) countries think that there are simply no other ways to end the hostilities, but Russia would not give the head of the neighbouring state any "engagements" for the sake of revoking his decree banning the talks, he stressed.

"Zelenskyy's formula can be described in different ways, but it is absolutely unimplementable. It is simply unimplementable, and everyone knows it," Lavrov explained.

According to the minister, based on the current situation, Moscow has concluded that Western states are unwilling to show an understanding of what is happening in the Ukrainian conflict zone.