Russia has accused the Ukrainian leadership of interrupting the Istanbul negotiation process for a possible peace solution.
“It is on hold because of the Kiev regime’s unwillingness to respond in any way to the questions we have asked,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
He was speaking to Pavel Sarubin, a correspondent for Russian state television who is close to the Kremlin.
During the interview, Peskov claimed that Ukraine has not responded to a draft document that includes a proposal to set up three working groups.
He said that the Russian side is full of optimism regarding the spirit of Anchorage, referring to the summit held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
The meeting did not produce any tangible results with regard to ending the conflict.
Peskov said that Kiev is not contributing positively to the process, but Moscow hopes that Trump would maintain the political will for a peaceful solution.
ALSO READ: Tusk warns Ukraine’s fall will reshape global security
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three and a half years ago.
Delegations from Moscow and Kiev have met several times since May for direct negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
Several exchanges of prisoners and soldiers’ remains have been agreed, but Moscow has refused to make concessions on its core demands, and there appears to be no prospect of a peace deal in the near future.
NAN
