Russia wants to negotiate a ceasefire. Someone got us involved, Lavrov turns
"Russia has put forward several proposals for an immediate ceasefire," Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said, according to Russia's TASS, asking whether the second round of talks would cover the ceasefire and the creation of humanitarian corridors.
"The Ukrainian delegation has already left Kiev. We expect him to arrive tomorrow (Thursday) in the morning, "Medinsky said, stressing that the two sides" agreed "on talks in Belarus," near the border with Poland."
The first round of talks took place on Monday, but the only conclusion that emerged was that the warring parties would still meet.
On Wednesday, Moscow also published a balance of losses for the first time since the invasion, according to which 498 Russian soldiers died in Ukraine and 1,597 were wounded. Ukrainian statistics show that Russia has lost more than 5,840 troops since the invasion began.
Lavrov: Someone got us involved
"I do not rule out that someone wanted Russia to get bogged down in the Western artificial conflict in Ukraine," Lavrov said on Wednesday. "Western political analysts are now writing that it will allow Americans to untie their hands and work to detain China," the Russian foreign minister said.
"We offer a deal. It will ensure the legal rights of all nations living in Ukraine, which includes all national minorities, "said Lavrov. Moscow originally conditioned the talks on requiring the Ukrainian side to lay down its arms first.
In an interview with Al Jazeera television, he said that it is necessary to identify specific types of assault weapons that will never be deployed or manufactured in Ukraine.
According to him, Moscow is not demanding surrender in negotiations with Ukraine, but is proposing an agreement that will ensure the legal rights of all the nations of this country.
According to Reuters, he also said that Moscow remained determined to achieve the "demilitarization" of Ukraine, which the Kremlin justified by the invasion of the neighboring country.