Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated on Monday that Moscow remains open to negotiations with Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict.

Speaking to journalists, Galuzin criticized Western governments, claiming they lack the will to push Kiev to lift its "self-imposed ban" on talks with Russia. "For our part, we have never been closed to negotiations; we have always been open to them. The Kiev regime and the Western states that govern it are closing," he said.

The remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced his intention to call United States outgoing President Joe Biden to discuss his country's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).