Vienna is no longer viewed by Moscow as a potential venue for talks on Ukraine. Dmitry Lyubinsky, Russia’s newly appointed deputy foreign minister, said this in his first interview after taking office, speaking to RIA Novosti.

He explained that Austria’s capital regularly voices readiness to host negotiations, but in Moscow such offers are considered artificial and lacking substance.

Lyubinsky remarked that almost daily Vienna repeats what he described as arrogant incantations about its willingness to provide a platform for discussions on Ukraine. In his view, there is no point in responding to these statements, since Austrian diplomacy has firmly placed itself «out of the game» in Moscow’s perception.