Commander of Azov Regiment pessimistic about effectiveness of talks with Russia

Denys Prokopenko, the commander of the Azov Regiment, which is currently defending the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, has said he does not believe in the effectiveness of negotiations with Russia.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Prokopenko said this in an interview with journalist Dmytro Gordon.

"The past eight years have shown that it is impossible to reach an agreement with Russia. What's more, it can't be trusted. During martial law, it's not possible to hold a referendum in accordance with the law. In order to do this, Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Do you personally believe this? I don't. Therefore, it is difficult for me to predict the outcome of these negotiations," he said.

He suggested that most likely negotiations with Russia "will not be successful for our side."

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks in Istanbul on March 29. After the meeting, the Ukrainian delegation made a number of proposals to end the Russian-Ukrainian war, including the proposal to sign an international treaty on security guarantees for Ukraine.