Iraq eager to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine

Iraq is offering to become a mediator in Ukraine's negotiations with Russia, however, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected this initiative of his Iraqi colleague, the Associated Press reports.

During the conversation with Kuleba, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein pointed to his country's many years of experience in wars and conflicts, as well as in conducting negotiations between warring parties, the journalists write.

He offered to become a mediator in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.

In response, Kuleba once again stated that Ukraine will not participate in peace negotiations with the aggressor state until Russia withdraws its troops from the territory of Ukraine.

Earlier, the department noted that this is the first visit of Ukraine's top diplomat to Iraq since 2012.

On April 12, 2022, The Guardian reported that Russia receives weapons from Iraq for the war against Ukraine with the help of Iranian arms smuggling networks.