Talks with Ukraine impossible after Kursk attacked, says Lavrov

MOSCOW, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has asserted that there cannot be any talks with Ukraine after its attack on Russia’s border Kursk region, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
“The president made it very clear that following the attacks on the Kursk region, any talks are impossible”, Lavrov said in an interview with local media.
Meanwhile, he refuted some allegations that the two countries made contacts mediated by the third party, claiming them as pure rumors.
The top Russian diplomat also indicated that the entire process within the frames of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland is unacceptable for Russia because “it is about promoting the Zelensky formula as an ultimatum.” ■