Lifting sanctions against Russia part of peace talks with Ukraine

Russia's sanctions being lifted is part of the peace negotiations between Moscow, and Ukraine, which is ongoing daily but is "difficult", Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, stated in remarks published Saturday morning.

Kyiv on Friday warned that talks to end Russia's invasion were at risk of collapsing.

"At the moment, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are actually discussing on a daily basis via video-conferencing a draft for a possible treaty," Lavrov stated in comments to China’s official Xinhua news agency. The comment was published on the Russian foreign ministry's site.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, has maintained since the invasion started on February 24, that Western sanctions against Russia must be strengthened and cannot be part of negotiations.

Since March 29, Russia and Ukraine have not had face-to-face talks. The atmosphere has soured due to allegations by Ukraine that Russian troops committed atrocities in areas close to Kyiv. Moscow denies the allegations.

Moscow describes its actions in Ukraine as a "special operation" meant to demilitarize and "denazify its neighbour. The West and Ukraine claim that Russia launched an unprovoked aggression war.

Lavrov stated that the agenda of the talks also included, among other things, issues of denazification and the recognition of geopolitical realities. He also spoke out about the lifting of sanctions and the status of the Russian language.

Lavrov stated that "we are in favour of continuing the negotiations even though they are difficult."

The West's allies in Ukraine have imposed severe sanctions against Moscow. They have placed severe sanctions on Moscow, freezing half of Russia's foreign currency and state gold reserves. This has hampered Russia's economy and put it at risk of default.