Russian Embassy Asks UK to Clarify Its Role in Disrupting Peace Talks With Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian Embassy in London is asking the United Kingdom to comment on the statement by a senior Ukrainian lawmaker who said that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the one who convinced Kiev in 2022 not to negotiate with Moscow and continue the fighting instead.

On Friday, Davyd Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine's ruling Servant of the People party's faction in the parliament and the former chief negotiator with Russia, said that Johnson talked Kiev out of signing an agreement with Moscow to end the conflict in the spring of 2022. He also added that Ukraine rejected the ceasefire deal due to its contradicting the constitution's clause on the country's Euro-Atlantic aspiration.

"Thus, evidently, with substantial UK input, an off-ramp for a negotiated solution was missed - with tragic consequences for Ukrainian statehood, economy and population. Would the UK Government care to comment on Arakhamia’s assertions?" the Embassy posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Russia and Ukraine held a few rounds of talks in the early phase of the conflict but the negotiation eventually stalled.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Western countries responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow while also ramping up its military support for Kiev.