Ukrainian interior minister denies proposing talks to self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic

09:09, 31.05.2014 1 min read

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has denied self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic head Valery Bolotov's statement that he had received a proposal from the Interior Ministry leadership on holding negotiations.

"This does not correspond to facts. This is a sick man's ravings," Avakov told journalists on Friday when asked to comment on Bolotov's statement.

Bolotov had said earlier on Friday that the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic's leadership had received a proposal from the Ukrainian Interior Ministry on holding negotiations.

"The leaders of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry have made us a proposal on starting negotiations in Kyiv," Bolotov said at a press conference on Friday.

"We are prepared for negotiations only after all combat actions have been unconditionally halted by Ukraine and all of Kyiv's armed units have been fully withdrawn from the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic," Bolotov said.