First, the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict is impossible without lifting all sanctions from Russia, Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday, adding that interference in the domestic affairs of other countries using sanctions should be banned by international law.
“This proposal [Russia’s peace initiative on Ukraine] is naturally urgent. And it is based on two positions: first, on the recognition of the fact that the state of affairs has changed,” Medvedev said at a plenary meeting of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum.
Second, he said, there must be a declaration of Ukraine’s neutrality and its non-entry into a military bloc unfriendly to Russia.
“Under such conditions, negotiations can be continued. But if they do not take place, and this was also explicitly stated, then subsequent talks, and they will arise sooner or later, will take place in worse conditions. On conditions with account for what will happen during the special military operation," Medvedev said.
The St. Petersburg International Legal Forum is held in St. Petersburg on June 26-28.