MOSCOW: According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow has lost faith in Ukrainian negotiators. "It's not like 'trust and verifies' here; it's just 'verify,' since there hasn't been any trust in these individuals for a long time," she said of the Russia-Ukraine talks, according to Russian Times.

Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, stated that the dynamics of Russian-Ukrainian talks "leave a lot to be desired." "The secret military mission is still going on. The President recently stated that everything was progressing as planned "said Peskov. He went on to say that talks at the expert level are continuing as part of the Ukraine negotiations.

"I'd also like to note out that, sadly, the Ukrainian side does not display much consistency on the agreed-upon points, as stated by the president. The position changes frequently, and the dynamics of development in the negotiation process, of course, leave a lot to be desired "said Peskov.

Commenting on Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky's willingness to address the country's reluctance to join NATO and the ownership of Crimea with Russia, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated he wanted to gain time. He emphasised that, at the same time as making these declarations, Ukraine's president is seeking military assistance from NATO.

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