Kyiv: Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak has said that Kiev could resume dialogue with Moscow only after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the presidential press service reported. In an interview with an Italian daily, Podolyak on Tuesday added that a potential ceasefire deal at the current stage of the conflict would provide Russia with time to strengthen its positions. "The ceasefire for Russia is a tactical pause for reinforcement," he said.


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While commenting on the reports that the representatives of the US Pentagon and the Russian Defence Ministry are involved in talks, Podolyak added that "there are no negotiations between Russia and Western countries regarding Ukraine".


"Our partners adhere to the principle of `nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine`. Neither side will be able to ensure the implementation of agreements without the support of the Ukrainian people," he said.


"If the Russians retreat and admit that they have made a terrible mistake — if one could talk about any mistake against the backdrop of all these developments — then we will be able to find a format for dialogue," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.


Zelenskyy said that further deaths of Ukrainians fighting for their land will only delay the negotiation process, possibly for years. He also stated that the last straw that negated the possibility of dialogue with Russia were the sham referendums staged in the occupied territories. These actions preclude any sort of negotiation, Zelenskyy noted. "We see a clear determination to occupy and destroy Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.


The Ukrainian president on Oct. 4 enacted a decision taken by the National Security and Defense Council to outlaw any negotiations with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The President's Office said that Kyiv would be ready for negotiations when the Russian leader changes. In turn, Putin said on November 1 that he was prepared to wait for Ukraine's consent to participate in the talks.


The Russia-Ukraine conflict started on February 24, Xinhua news agency reported. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29.