Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country stands ready for talks with Russia to establish peace amid the ongoing border crisis between the two nations.
"I am ready for any format (of talks)," Zelensky told reporters on THursday during his visit to the frontline city of Mariupol in the conflict-hit eastern Ukraine.
He noted that Ukraine supports the initiatives of other countries that offer assistance in organising a meeting with the Russian side, reports Xinhua news agency.
While commenting on the prospects of Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has been one of the main concerns of Russia, Zelensky said that not all NATO members support Ukraine's accession.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that the possibility of putting the NATO issue to a referendum is not being considered.
Currently, the goal of NATO membership is enshrined in the Ukrainian Constitution.
Since November 2021, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion".
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation, stressing its right to mobilise troops within its borders to defend its territory as the NATO activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was working to host Ukrainian and Russian leaders as part of efforts to calm down the tension in the region.
--IANS
ksk/
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU