The Kremlin on Tuesday said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could travel to Moscow for talks if he is prepared for “responsible and serious” discussions aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict, while stating that no official communication channels currently exist between Russia and Ukraine.
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the remarks during a media briefing, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
He said there were currently no formal mechanisms for dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv but indicated that Russia remained open to direct engagement under certain conditions.
“There are no official channels for communication between Moscow and Kyiv,” Peskov said, as quoted by TASS.
However, he added that Zelenskyy could come to Moscow if he was willing to hold substantive discussions on ending the conflict.
“Zelensky, you know that Putin has actually said everything, everything was offered. It was said and repeated several times that if Zelensky is ready to speak responsibly and seriously, the Kyiv regime knows perfectly well what he is talking about, then he can always come to Moscow, where he will be received,” Peskov said.
The Kremlin’s remarks came after renewed diplomatic activity around the Ukraine war, with US President Donald Trump holding talks with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.
Trump said after his meeting with the Ukrainian leader that Russia should agree to a peace deal with Ukraine, adding that he would do “whatever” he could to help end the conflict.
“Look, Russia should make a deal,” Trump told reporters, according to Reuters.
Zelenskyy later said G7 leaders agreed that Russia was not winning the war and discussed possible additional sanctions targeting Moscow’s oil exports, banking sector and military production.
Peskov also commented on the expected visit of US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia for talks related to the Ukraine conflict, saying no exact dates had been finalised.
“There are no exact dates for the visit of American emissaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Russia yet,” Peskov said.
“The American negotiators will arrive soon, but there are no exact dates yet. As you know, the Americans are busy preparing and signing the memorandum that has been agreed upon. We know that the signing is scheduled for Switzerland at the end of this week. After that, they will probably be able to travel to Moscow,” he added.
European leaders at the G7 summit were pushing Trump to take a tougher stance against Moscow, including through possible additional sanctions, while Ukrainian officials sought to highlight Kyiv’s position on the battlefield and increase pressure on Russia.
Peskov, meanwhile, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been invited to the G7 Summit.
“There was no invitation, of course,” he said.
The Kremlin spokesperson also said Putin and Trump did not discuss a possible meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy during their latest phone call.
He added that no one had approached Russia with a proposal to arrange such a meeting.
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