Kremlin comments on prospect of Ukraine peace talks
Ukraine has shown no sign that it is ready to hold peace talks with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Peskov reiterated that Russia “remains open to talks” to end the hostilities. “However, since there has been no progress in terms of Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations, we are continuing with our [military] operation,” he said.
The spokesman also noted that “we see the dynamics [on the battlefield], and it is self-evident: we are on the advance,” adding that Moscow will do its utmost to ensure its security.
Peskov’s comments were in an apparent reference to Russia’s gains in Donbass and elsewhere in recent months, which President Vladimir Putin has said are now measured in square kilometers.
Moscow has repeatedly said it is open to talks on Ukraine, provided they take into account the territorial “reality on the ground.” However, in the fall of 2022, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky signed a presidential decree banning all talks with the current leadership in Moscow. He imposed the ban after four former Ukrainian regions voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.
Zelensky has also ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia, and insisted that any peace settlement must include robust security guarantees for Ukraine.
Speculation about possible Russia-Ukraine peace talks gained momentum after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. The Republican has repeatedly vowed to quickly end the fighting. One reported peace plan would involve the freezing the conflict along the current front line without recognizing Russia’s sovereignty over territories claimed by Ukraine while suspending Kiev’s NATO membership ambitions.
Moscow has ruled out any freeze of the conflict, arguing that this would allow Ukraine to win time and rearm itself. It maintains that the conflict can only end when its goals, including Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, are met. It has also signaled that it would immediately declare a ceasefire and begin peace talks once Kiev withdraws from all Russian territory, including Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions.
