Shortly after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his team had reached out to Moscow to try to arrange a bilateral meeting next week, the Kremlin said it was eager to talk, but not to expect any alterations to their demands.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that Russia is ready to “move quickly” with peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine but that Russia must achieve its goals, which Peskov claimed are “obvious” and “do not change.”
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Kremlin officials have consistently claimed that any peace settlement must eliminate the alleged “root causes” of the war and repeated Russia’s original war aims to “denazify” and “demilitarize” Ukraine.
Moscow has long demanded that Zelensky step down, claiming he has no authority to rule the country after Kyiv did not hold elections due to Ukraine’s constitutional restrictions while under martial law. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine be disarmed and remain a “neutral” party in any tensions between Russia and the West.
It has railed against voices in NATO that said they would welcome Ukraine into the Alliance.
“The anti-Russian militaristic ecstasy in Europe is not yet understood by all countries, but the trend is already dangerous,” Russian state media TASS said in a quote attributed to Peskov.
Analysts from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) contended that “Peskov’s July 20 statements underline the Kremlin’s continued disinterest in good-faith negotiations with Ukraine and efforts rather to prolong the war.”
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Zelensky announced in a video published on his Facebook page that Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and until earlier this week, Kyiv’s Defense Minister, has proposed a meeting with Russian negotiators next week.
Umerov had proposed the meeting with the Russians next week, Zelensky said.
“The Russian side needs to stop hiding from decisions,” Zelensky said. “Exchange of prisoners. Return of children. Stop the killings. And a meeting at the level of leaders is needed to really ensure peace – a truly lasting one. Ukraine is ready for such a meeting.”
The Kremlin claimed earlier this month it was ready to continue talks with Kyiv after US President Donald Trump gave Russia 50 days to make peace or face sanctions.
Trump also pledged to supply Kyiv with new military aid, which NATO allies would sponsor.
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