Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called Russia’s invitation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Moscow a “gesture of goodwill”.

Source: Lavrov in a comment to a Russian Vesti news agency, as reported by a Kremlin-aligned new agency Interfax

Details: When asked to comment on Zelenskyy’s proposal to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the US, Lavrov said: “Dmitry Peskov has already spoken on this, in my view. An invitation has been sent to this individual. If he wants to meet, let him come.”

Quote: “And this is already a huge gesture of goodwill on our part, because he still hasn’t cancelled his decree banning contacts with Putin and his team. So we’re not short of goodwill, while he, as I understand it, is short of good character.”

More details: Lavrov also claimed that Russia allegedly remains open to talks with Ukraine but will not halt the war for the duration of such talks.

Earlier on 12 September, Dmitriy Peskov, the Russian leader’s press secretary, said that if Zelenskyy genuinely wants to meet with Putin, he can come to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said the question of the Russian leader’s trip to the G20 summit has not yet been discussed.

For reference: Over recent years, Ukraine has repeatedly proposed a personal meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin on neutral territory for talks on ending the war Russia unleashed against Ukraine. However, Russia has consistently turned this down, proposing a meeting only in Moscow.

Background: Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would travel to Miami for the G20 summit scheduled for December and meet Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader were to attend.

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