Russia 'not ready' for talks with US on condition of withdrawal from Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia is not ready for negotiations with the US on the condition of "withdrawal from Ukraine," but Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to contacts, the Kremlin said on Friday.

The remarks by spokesman Dmitry Peskov came a day after US President Joe Biden said he is prepared to speak with the Russian president if he shows an interest in ending the war that started in February.

"The special military operation continues. But of course, the most preferable way to achieve our interests is through peaceful, diplomatic means," Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.

He reminded that before starting its "special military operation," Putin tried to ease concerns peacefully, through diplomatic efforts, but his initiative had not found understanding in the US, NATO and the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe.

Peskov added that the US "refusal to recognize new Russian territories" complicates the search for common ground, referring to Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine where referendums dubbed as "sham" by the West were held in September.