In an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, published on his Telegram account, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is "ready to take swift action" regarding the issue of peace in Ukraine. He affirmed that "our main goal is to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves. Our goals are clear and specific and will not change," adding that the peace process is not solely dependent on Moscow.
Since launching the "special military operation" in February 2022, aimed at "demilitarizing" and "denazifying" Ukraine, Russia has presented several conditions for settling the conflict, including preventing Kyiv from joining any military alliances and the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, which Russia annexed after referendums in September 2022.
Ukraine describes these conditions as "ultimatums" and demands a ceasefire as a prerequisite for any meaningful negotiations. Regarding a possible meeting between President Putin and President Trump, Peskov said that such a meeting "will take place when the time is right," and it may be necessary to formalize "some major agreements that will eventually be reached" before holding such talks. However, he noted that "the time is not yet ripe and the relevant work still needs to move forward."
Trump, since the beginning of his second term in January, has been seeking to end the four-year-long conflict and has threatened to impose 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if an agreement to end the conflict is not reached within 50 days. Meanwhile, two rounds of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul in May and June, the first of their kind in three years. The third round of direct negotiations is also scheduled to take place in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy indicated last Saturday that Kyiv had proposed holding a new round of talks this week, but he did not mention a specific date. Russian news agency TASS reported that a source close to the Russian negotiating team confirmed that they had received a proposal from Kyiv to hold a meeting.
Commenting on Trump's statements, Peskov said that the parties have become accustomed to the American president's "fairly harsh and straightforward rhetoric." He added: "At the same time, he has confirmed that he will continue to do everything possible to promote a peaceful settlement. In fact, President Putin has repeatedly expressed his hope to move the resolution of the Ukrainian issue to a peaceful track as soon as possible."
The spokesman described the Ukrainian issue as a "long process" that "requires effort" and is "not easy." He concluded: "And it is likely that Washington is increasingly realizing this."
Analysis: While Peskov emphasizes Russia's readiness to move towards peace, the conditions imposed by Moscow, which Kyiv considers "ultimatums," complicate the path to negotiations. Potential mediation by a figure like Trump remains an opportunity to break the deadlock, but its success depends on the willingness of all parties to make genuine compromises. Considering the geopolitical landscape, the involvement of other global actors like China or the EU, in addition to potential US involvement, could potentially influence the future of negotiations.
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