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Armenia’s former Deputy Defense Minister and Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) politician Artak Zakaryan has spoken of Monday’s expected talks between Russia and Ukraine.

"I would like to make several brief points about the Russian-Ukrainian talks set to be held on the Belarus border.

"1. Russia agreed to the talks to show that it is ready for a dialogue (urbi et orbi), and has no intention to occupy Ukraine. In Gomel they discussed the same demands put forward by Russia: ensuring Eurasian security, Ukrainian guarantees of non-membership in NATO, the removal of anti-Russian and Nazi (nationalist) forces from Ukraine.

2. Lukashenko needs the negotiations to highlight (increase) the geopolitical role of Belarus.

3. Ukraine needs the negotiations to stall for time. Russia’s demands have been clear for a long time, but Zelensky is not in a position to make decisions on his own (it was also the case with the Minsk 2 agreements that were not implemented). Ukraine has been losing its sovereignty year by year since 2014 and is now a country dependent on the United States and the EU,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Ukraine will announce that it is ready to accept Russia’s proposals under certain conditions, but it will not be implemented again, and Russians will have to carry out the denazification operation to the end.

“I don't think the negotiations will be a game changer at this point,” Zakaryan said.