The Kremlin has not yet seen Italy’s proposals for a settlement in Ukraine. This was announced on Tuesday, May 24, by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov.
He specified that he hopes to bring the proposals through diplomatic channels.
“No, not yet seen [these proposals from Rome]. We hope that through diplomatic channels [such a plan] will be brought to our attention and we will be able to get acquainted with it, ”Peskov replied.
On May 19, it was reported that Italy had proposed to the UN a phased plan for a peace settlement in Ukraine, starting with a ceasefire and ending with a treaty on “disputed territories” and a general multilateral agreement on security guarantees in Europe.
According to the newspaper La Repubblica, the document was prepared by the Italian Foreign Ministry with the participation of the Prime Minister. On May 18, he was sent by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio to UN Secretary General António Guterres. Representatives of the G7 countries were also familiarized with the content of the plan.
Also on May 19, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced its readiness to return to negotiations with Ukraine when Kyiv expresses readiness for this. The department recalled that the process was interrupted by the Ukrainian side.
On May 17, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said that Ukraine, in fact, withdrew from the negotiation process with Russia. No response was received from Kyiv to the Russian draft treaty. The diplomat noted that Ukraine is trying to blur the agreements already reached during the negotiations with Russia.
On February 24, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. Moscow explained that the tasks of the special operation include the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, the implementation of which is necessary to ensure the security of Russia. The decision was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military.