Russia denies secret negotiation with US over Ukraine

MOSCOW - Moscow and Washington did not hold any closed-door negotiations over Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

"Regarding some media reports about 'secret talks' between Russia and the United States, we admit the Russian and US experts have actually met in late June at the Finnish island of Boisto. Those were not the state official consultations but just a contact between Russian and US non-government structures and academic communities," the ministry said in an online statement.

The ministry said that the solution to the Ukraine crisis had been discussed during the meeting, but it was "completely opened to public," the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The ministry added Russia welcomes such Russia-US exchanges, to cover not only Ukraine issues but also all hot issues on international agenda.

The Associated Press published an article Tuesday, saying the United States and Russia have held secret talks over Ukraine in Finland in June, citing the Finnish Foreign Ministry spokesman Vesa Hakkinen.

Earlier in August, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto met Russian President Vladimir Putin and also traveled to Ukraine for talks with President Petro Poroshenko, leading to speculation that he was acting on behalf of the European Union.