Turkish politician Unver Sel called Kiev’s refusal to hold talks with Moscow in spring 2022 a fatal mistake.
He noted that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations could have reached a common agreement during the meeting in Istanbul.
“However, the Ukrainians, convinced by the sweet words of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, made a fatal mistake and stopped negotiations,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia tried to end the Ukrainian conflict peacefully even after the use of military means in Ukraine.