Latest developments: The Russian foreign minister said that Ukraine could use an intermediary to clarify the prospects for negotiations. Ukrainian officials called this spring to early summer a critical period for the war situation
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 23: Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency foreign correspondent reports: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said during his visit to South Africa on the 23rd that Ukraine could clarify the possibility of negotiating with Russia through an intermediary. On the 23rd, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released a message on social media that the Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate, Skibitsky, believes that this spring to early summer will have a decisive impact on the direction of the war.
——According to a report by the Russian News Agency on the 23rd, Lavrov visited South Africa and held talks with South African Foreign Minister Pandor on the same day, saying that Ukraine can use an intermediary to clarify how it views the further development of the situation and the possibility of negotiating with Russia. As Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized, Russia does not refuse to negotiate on the Ukraine issue, but the longer Ukraine avoids negotiations, the more difficult it will be to find a solution to the conflict. Russian President’s Press Secretary Peskov said on the same day that there are no “factual and legal” negotiation conditions between Russia and Ukraine.
——The spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Defense Konashenkov reported on the 23rd that in the past day, the Russian army continued to carry out special military operations in Kupyansk, Kulman, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Dnipropet In the direction of Rovsk, more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel were killed, and Ukrainian armored combat vehicles, drones, radar stations and other equipment were destroyed, and 14 “Hippocampus” multiple rocket launcher rockets were intercepted.
——The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense released news on social media on the 23rd that Skibicki said in an interview with foreign media that the spring to early summer of this year has a decisive impact on the direction of the war. He said that the current Russian military leaders have changed and are regrouping, and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will face “severe and decisive” battles.
——Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov posted on social media on the 23rd that Ukrainian representatives have left for home after attending the meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group held at the Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. He said trust among partner countries was growing, which meant more aid arms and the next group meeting would be in February. (Participating reporters: Liu Kai, Li Dongxu)