Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and his press secretary Dmitry Peskov (left), Photo: “Kommersant
The Kremlin has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov against the backdrop of talks between the United States and Russia taking place in Saudi Arabia.
According to Peskov, Putin has repeatedly stated that he is ready for peace talks, but for Moscow, the main thing is to achieve its own goals. Western leaders and former US President Joe Biden have repeatedly expressed doubts about the sincerity of the Kremlin’s intentions, although Donald Trump believes that Putin is indeed ready for a peaceful dialogue.
The Kremlin also confirmed that Putin is ready for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but at the same time questioned his legitimacy. Moscow is again repeating the narrative that Zelenskyy is in power beyond his official term because of martial law in Ukraine.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia is stepping up its information campaign to delegitimise the Ukrainian government in the eyes of the West. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that Kyiv must hold elections before peace can be negotiated, and Kremlin officials again called Zelenskyy “illegitimate”.
