Peskov made the remarks in comments to a Russian state media propagandist, while also suggesting that such a meeting could take place in Moscow. Ukraine has repeatedly said it is ready for talks in any country except Russia and Belarus.
“The main thing is to have a reason to meet and for the meeting to be productive,” Peskov said.
He also said a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin could happen only to formalize agreements reached in advance, adding that “serious work” would need to be done beforehand. Peskov further claimed the Kremlin does not see sufficient “political will” from Kyiv.
Read also: Zelenskyy ready for Putin meeting outside of Kyiv or Moscow
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said those remarks showed Putin was not genuinely prepared for such a meeting. After signaling supposed readiness for talks, Kovalenko said, Moscow immediately reverted to unrealistic demands, including calls for Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas.
Earlier on April 22, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine would accept any venue for a potential meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin except Russia or Belarus.
Sybiha said Kyiv supports direct talks between the two leaders in an effort to inject new momentum into negotiations. He also said Ukraine is ready for a leaders-level meeting mediated by Türkiye and possibly the United States.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has previously said Russia is deliberately advancing unacceptable terms for a bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
Zelenskyy said in January that no agreement on territorial issues could be reached without direct contact between the two leaders and that a personal meeting with Putin offered the best chance of breaking the deadlock.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Alex Stezhensky
