Kremlin won’t comment on US-Ukraine air ceasefire talks
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia thought it was premature to comment on reports that the United States and Ukraine were discussing a possible halt to airstrikes as part of efforts to end the war.
Ukrainian and US officials are discussing an aerial ceasefire proposal to be presented to Russia as part of a new initiative to revive peace talks aimed at ending the conflict triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a Ukrainian source told Reuters.
The source said that Ukraine had approached Russian President Vladimir Putin with ceasefire offers in the past, but these offers were rejected.
But some officials believe that the pressure on Russia’s economy from ongoing Ukrainian drone and missile attacks could soften Putin’s stance.
“We do not know how reliable these reports are or where they come from. These are newspaper reports and nothing more. Therefore, it is premature to comment on them at this stage,” Interfax news agency quoted Peskov as saying. he said.
He said Russia’s response to any new peace initiative would depend on whether it was compatible with its interests.
“We have heard statements that some new formulas may be possible. We still need to learn more about them,” Peskov said. he said.
“And over time, some formulas or proposals will probably be put forward. What happens next will depend on how close they are to our interests.”
Peskov reiterated that Russia maintains dialogue channels with US negotiators.
Russian officials have said they hope U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Moscow when their schedules allow and that dialogue with the United States will continue.
U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal have largely stalled in recent months, while diplomatic attention has also been diverted by the Iran war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke with Witkoff and Kushner this week about hopes for renewed talks with Russia and will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC on Tuesday.
Peskov said on Saturday that Russia had already determined the necessary conditions to stop the conflict in Ukraine.
These conditions include, in particular, the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region; This is something Ukraine has consistently denied.
from EFE
