Russia is only trying to negotiate an end to the war, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an interview with Le Parisien.

" Only after that negotiations are possible, because when they hold a gun to their heads, these are not negotiations,"

At the same time, Le Drian noted that he expects the brutal war to intensify according to the Chechen and Syrian scenarios..

" As was already the case in Grozny and Aleppo, they use a typical set - indiscriminate bombing, so-called "

At the same time, he noted that if chemical weapons are used in Ukraine, France will have no doubt that Russia is the culprit..

" The use of non-conventional means would mean an unacceptable escalation and would require a "

On the eve of the Financial Times reported that the negotiators have already outlined a preliminary peace plan to end the war.. They say Russia withdraws its troops only from the Ukrainian territories occupied after February 24, 2022, and Ukraine proclaims neutrality and renunciation of ambitions to join NATO and reduce troops.

In response, a participant in the negotiations, adviser to the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak, said that the Financial Times published a draft peace treaty, which demonstrates the request of the Russian side, and Ukraine has its own positions.

President Zelensky, in an evening address to the people, said that the goal of the negotiations is clear and unchanged: the end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoration of territorial integrity, real guarantees and protection for our country.