ST. PETERSBURG, June 6. /TASS/. Russia is not retreating "by even an inch" from its position on the Ukrainian conflict and will achieve its goals either through negotiations or through the special military operation, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said in an interview with TASS Director General Andrey Kondrashov at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026).
Responding to a question about possible candidates to represent the EU in negotiations with Russia, she stressed that "this is a separate issue." "But it is not only about that (the candidates -- TASS). What will they bring to the negotiations?" Matviyenko noted.
"Russia’s position since the start of the special military operation has not changed by even an inch. We clearly outlined the goals of the special military operation: to eliminate the root causes of this intra-Ukrainian crisis. Without eliminating them, long-term stable peace is impossible," she said.
"We have not changed our position. We stated our goals and said that we will certainly achieve them. Either at the negotiating table -- and we are open to negotiations -- or we will continue the special military operation. This position remains unchanged," Matviyenko stressed.
