Ukraine sees no point in holding talks with Russia now for weakness of its position - Ukrainian official

WASHINGTON. June 16 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian-Russian talks have currently been virtually halted, and Ukraine does not see much sense in resuming them in the current situation because of its weak negotiating position at the moment, David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People ruling parliamentary faction at the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, said in an interview published on the Axios web portal.

"Our negotiating position is actually quite weak, so we don't want to sit at the table if we are in this position. We need to reverse it in some way," Axios quoted Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the negotiations with Russia, as saying.

Arakhamia stressed "the need for a counter-operation to regain lost territory," it said.

Arakhamia said formal negotiations are currently frozen, and "both sides clearly realize that right now, there is no place for negotiation." At the same time, Arakhamia said he and his team speak by phone with their Russian counterparts "one or two times per week."

While the idea of negotiations with Russia is harshly disapproved of in Ukraine, Arakhamia suggested that the conflict should eventually be ended through "compromise."

Arakhamia said also that Ukraine lacks weapons and ammunition, while its partners, especially those in Europe, have been focused increasingly more on replenishing their own stockpiles rather than on arming Ukraine. In particular, he said the German government is reluctant to approve export licenses for arming Ukraine, Axios said.

Ukraine is losing up to 1,000 of its troops killed or wounded in Donbas every day, with 200 to 500 of them killed on average, he said.

The Ukrainian "military people" strongly object to the idea of demining Ukrainian Black Sea ports in exchange for Russia allowing grain exports, as they see "no guarantee" that Russia would not use the corridors cleared of mines to attack from the sea, he said.

Arakhamia is currently leading a Ukrainian delegation visiting Washington, Axios said.