UPDATE - Russia denies getting artillery shells from North Korea

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY ZAKHAROVA; CHANGES DECK, LEDE

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Wednesday denied US claims that Moscow was acquiring artillery shells from North Korea and repeated that it remains willing to hold peace talks with Ukraine.

"No clear evidence for these statements was presented and could not be, because everything said by American representatives is a lie from beginning to end," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing in Moscow.

Zakharova accused the US of looking for "an excuse" to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang after a senior American official alleged last week that North Korea was secretly providing Russia with artillery shells in its war against Ukraine.

"Our information indicates that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is covertly supplying Russia's war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells," US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters.

The Russian spokeswoman's comments followed similar a rebuke from North Korea, which on Tuesday also rejected the US allegations, calling them a "hostile attempt" to tarnish its image.

In a statement, North Korea's Defense Ministry stressed that it has never had any arms agreements with Russia, nor any future plans for any such deal.

- Russia 'open' to peace talks with Ukraine

Turning to Ukraine, Zakharova reiterated that Moscow is willing to hold peace talks with Kyiv as the war continues in its eighth month.

"We're still open to negotiations. We never refused them. We're ready to conduct them, of course, taking into account the realities that are developing at the moment," she said, echoing similar statements from top Russian officials in recent weeks.

The spokeswoman added that Ukraine would be more inclined to hold peace talks if the West stopped "pumping weapons" into the country.

She added that Russia is also ready for dialogue with the US, but that Washington had to realize the futility of trying to pressure Moscow.

"We'll make a worthy rebuff to the confrontation that is being persistently imposed on us. However, we've never stated that we're slamming the door. No, we're open to dialogue, diplomacy does not end.

"We're ready for normal work when and if Washington realizes the futility of pressure on Moscow and of further involvement in the conflict in Ukraine as a side," said Zakharova.

In an apparent U-turn on a previous decision that ruled out talks with Russia's current government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Kyiv's conditions for starting peace talks with Moscow were respect for the UN Charter and compensation for losses.