Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine must continue, Moscow is preparing its response to Kiev's proposals and is fixing some steps forward, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

His remarks came at a press conference following talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, TASS reported.

"You heard how our negotiators commented on the last round in Istanbul, where for the first time the Ukrainian side put on paper its vision of the agreements to be reached. And these agreements should, in general, be formed first. We are preparing a response, there is a step forward, first of all, in the recognition of the impossibility for Ukraine to be a bloc country, the impossibility for Ukraine to seek happiness in the North Atlantic Alliance - non-nuclear non-aligned status", - said the head of the Russian diplomatic mission.

He said that Russia saw from the Ukrainian side a much greater understanding of another reality. "I mean the situation with Crimea and in Donbass," Lavrov continued. - "Regarding potential further contacts, they are now being worked out and will be announced.

Moscow advocates that security guarantees be provided not only to Russia, but also to Ukraine and all European countries in accordance with those documents that have been adopted within the OSCE for many years and which proclaimed the principle that no country will strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others.

According to the minister, no one would mind if India could support the processes of providing security guarantees with its just positions and rational approaches to solving international problems.

Lavrov also noted that he had not heard talk that India might mediate in talks between Moscow and Kiev.