Russia Tells Ukraine Not to Listen to NATO

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated on Saturday that Kiev has a better chance of resolving its conflict with Russia if it resists the harmful influence of NATO, which she believes obstructs peace efforts.

Zakharova was responding to comments made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga regarding the outcomes of the Istanbul meeting, which marked the first direct talks between Kiev and Moscow since 2022.

The discussions resulted in a significant prisoner exchange between the two countries, and both sides agreed to exchange conditions for a potential ceasefire, with plans to discuss a follow-up meeting.

Sibiga described the results of the meeting positively, saying, "If we put aside all the Russian nonsense, pseudo-historical statements, provocations, and so on, the bottom line is this: we managed to agree on the return of 1,000 of our people. These are 1,000 happy families. Even for this reason alone, all this made sense."

Zakharova responded by noting that "all ‘this’ was proposed by Russia – by its president – and implemented by a delegation authorized by the head of state, which Zelensky mocked for a day."

Zakharova further emphasized that, if all insults are set aside, Sibiga had essentially admitted that the "Russian propositions have a certain sense."

She also warned that the Ukrainian people should not allow "the ‘NATO advisers’ to lead them off the true path of settlement into the ravine of other people’s interests again," suggesting that external influences are steering Ukraine away from a peaceful resolution.

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