Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin said on Sunday that his country is yet to take the war in Ukraine seriously and added that Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, but, on its conditions.
In an interview with the BBC Kelin said, “Russia hasn't just started yet to act very seriously and Russia is 16 times bigger than Ukraine. We have enormous resources." He added, “The length of the conflict depends on the efforts in escalation of the war that is being undertaken by Nato countries, especially by the UK". Kelin said it is a mistake to believe Ukraine will prevail in the war.
Kelin warned that the supply of weapons by the West to Ukraine could only help in escalating the war. The Russian ambassador claimed that his country is ready to negotiate peace with Ukraine, but on its own terms. “We want peace, but on certain conditions, of course. For us, two things are important. That there will be no threat from Ukraine to Russia - this is one thing. And second, that Russians in Ukraine will be treated like all other nations in the world.”
Kelin added, “We can make peace tomorrow, if the Ukrainian side is prepared to negotiate, but at the moment there are no preconditions for that, I am afraid, because the president of Ukraine has prohibited any negotiations."