Serhii Nikiforov, the spokesperson of the President of Ukraine, has suggested focusing only on the statements of Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the prospects of negotiations with Russia.

Nikiforov thus has reacted to the Financial Times, which cites Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of the Office of the President, that Kyiv does not rule out negotiations with Russia when the Armed Forces of Ukraine approach the administrative border with Crimea.

"In this matter, one should focus on the words of the President of Ukraine and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief," said Zelenskyy's spokesman in a Liga.net comment.

According to Sybiha's quote in the FT, Kyiv is ready "to open a diplomatic page (Ukr) to discuss this issue" if it succeeds in achieving its strategic objectives on the battlefield, and when they are at the administrative border with Crimea. Sybiga added that this does not exclude the return of Crimea by military means.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently said at a joint briefing with the leaders of Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia that he would allow peace talks with the Russian leadership (Ukr) only if Russia voluntarily withdraws from the occupied territories.

In February, Politico cited anonymous comments that the administration of the US president was still convinced that returning Crimea to Ukraine is a "red line" (Ukr) for Putin and threatens a serious escalation. At the same time, Washington does not deny Ukraine's right to reclaim the peninsula.