The Kremlin is open to dialogue with the Europeans on the war in Ukraine

Russia is unfastened to dialog with Europeans on the warfare successful Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today.

“The Russians are acceptable for talks,” Peskov stated. “We judge it is ever amended to speech than to thrust the concern into full confrontation—which is what the Europeans are presently doing.”

He added that Russia would invited a alteration successful attitude. Referring to caller statements from Finnish President Alexander Stubb and comments from Berlin regarding the anticipation of nonstop talks with Moscow, the Kremlin spokesperson said it was “probably not a atrocious thing” to see appointing a negotiator astatine the European Union level.

“Just a fewer months ago, specified discussions were not adjacent taking spot successful Europe,” Peskov noted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently said helium is acceptable for talks, provided determination is capable willingness from the different side. At the aforesaid time, Moscow has repeatedly argued that European countries should beryllium considered parties to the conflict, arsenic they are supporting Ukraine with weapons and truthful should not beryllium portion of immoderate negotiating table.

Search for a suitable mediator

Negotiations aimed astatine ending the Russian penetration of Ukraine person precocious been conducted with US mediation, but without important progress.

The main obstacle, according to Moscow, is its request for the withdrawal of each Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected immoderate territorial concessions.

Asked precocious by a Russian writer which European fig helium would similar arsenic a mediator, Putin mentioned erstwhile German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, with whom helium maintains affable relations. Ukraine has rejected the thought of Schröder serving arsenic a mediator, citing his adjacent ties to the Russian leadership.

A Kremlin spokesperson clarified contiguous that Putin did not formally suggest Schröder, but simply mentioned his sanction successful effect to a circumstantial question.

Putin has besides ruled retired the anticipation that idiosyncratic who has made captious remarks astir Russia could service arsenic a mediator.

It remains unclear which EU authoritative could instrumentality connected specified a role. An evident campaigner would beryllium EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas, but Moscow has accused her of hostility toward Russia and of refusing to prosecute successful dialogue.