Kremlin says Ukrainian foreign minister's statement about peace talks with Russia aligns with Moscow's position

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that the comments by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba regarding Ukraine's readiness for negotiations with Russia align with Moscow's position, though further clarifications are needed.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov emphasized the importance of understanding the details of such statements.

"We have seen reports from Beijing indicating that such a statement was made during the meeting with (Chinese Foreign Minister) Mr. Wang Yi. This message is in line with our stance. You know that the Russian side has never refused to negotiate and has always been open to the negotiation process. However, the details are crucial, and we do not yet know them. Therefore, we will wait for further clarifications," he said.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry claimed that Kuleba announced Kyiv's readiness for dialogue and negotiations with Russia during his visit to China.

In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed skepticism about Ukraine's peace proposals, citing past experiences.

She noted that Kyiv had preliminarily approved a draft peace agreement with Russia in March 2022 during talks in Istanbul, only to cut off contacts and adopt a law prohibiting negotiations with Moscow.

Zakharova pointed out that neither Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nor his administration, other branches of government, or Western powers have taken steps to revoke the law prohibiting Ukraine from negotiating with Russia.

"We hear many words, but we don't see any actions in principle," she said, suggesting that the Ukrainian authorities might be altering their rhetoric on peace talks due to the upcoming US presidential election.