Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attends a press conference during the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 12, 2022. /CFP
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings in Cambodia on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that there is "not a single indicator that Russia is sincerely seeking negotiations."
Kuleba also called on Southeast Asian countries to take all measures possible to ensure that Russia does not exacerbate global food insecurity by impeding Ukrainian grain shipments to global markets.
Russia did not immediately response to Kuleba's comment. But, earlier on Saturday, Sergey Tsekov, a member of Russia's Federation Council, told TASS news agency that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv will definitely take place but their timeframe depends on the position of Ukraine's U.S. and European partners.
"In my opinion, they will take place only when the Europeans and Americans are ready for them. If they continue to provoke the conflict then the negotiations won't happen," the official said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has on many occasions expressed willingness to sit down with Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a news briefing that "Russia has never refused to conduct negotiations with Ukraine, and it is still ready to hold them, taking into account the emerging realities."