MOSCOW, May 18 – Negotiations at an EU-Russia-Ukraine ministerial meeting on the trade section of the EU-Ukraine association agreement scheduled for May 18 will be difficult, as the three parties' positions are still significantly different, says Russia's permanent representative at the EU Vladimir Chizhov.

"I won't try to prejudge the outcomes. The conversation will be hard, as the parties' positions have not become significantly closer," Chizhov said on the Rossiya-24 news television channel on Friday.