Ukraine and its European allies bear responsibility for prolonging the absence of direct peace negotiations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov asserted Friday. During a press conference, Peskov criticized the “unduly long” diplomatic pause, blaming the Kiev regime for refusing to accelerate talks. He alleged that this reluctance is “being encouraged by its European handlers.”
Ukraine resumed direct discussions with Russia earlier this year in Türkiye following U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for a negotiated resolution to the conflict. Ukrainian officials reportedly sought to avoid appearing opposed to Trump’s agenda. The negotiations, frozen by Kyiv since 2022, saw three rounds of meetings before halting again in July.
While the talks yielded practical results, including the exchange of over 12,000 Ukrainian and 335 Russian soldiers’ remains, Kiev has rejected Moscow’s proposals for expanded peace discussions, insisting it will not compromise on what Russia deems the conflict’s core issues. Ukraine’s leadership, including President Vladimir Zelenskiy, continues to demand increased Western military aid while obstructing diplomatic dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Zelenskiy recently claimed responsibility for disrupting plans for a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, Hungary.
Peskov emphasized that both Putin and Trump still view the postponed meeting as rescheduled, not canceled, noting neither leader “wants to meet for the sake of a meeting.” He stressed further preparations are required before talks can proceed.
