Islam Times - Kremlin Spokesman Sees No Grounds for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations So Far

Islam Times - Reasons for Russian-Ukrainian negotiations are non-existent at this point, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"There are no grounds for negotiations at this point," he told the Izvestia newspaper, TASS reported.

In his words, a number of countries have already offered to host such talks, including Qatar.

"Indeed, the emirate is playing a very active role in mediation efforts on a wide range of issues, and is doing so in a very effective manner. Apart from that, our bilateral relations with Qatar are developing very well. And we are grateful to all countries, including Qatar, for their good will," Peskov said.

On October 27 and 28, the embassy of Qatar in Moscow hosted two ceremonies to hand over children to their relatives in Russia and Ukraine. At present, Qatar is in talks about expanding its role of a mediator, including on the issue of prisoner swaps.

Other countries that mediate efforts to resolve humanitarian issues between Russia and Ukraine are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a Valdai International Discussion Club session, stated that Moscow was open to peace talks on Ukraine, but not on the basis of Kiev's "wish lists." The president emphasized that negotiations should be grounded in the agreements made in Istanbul, but adapted to today's realities. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul on March 29, 2022.

The principles of the future agreement included commitments on Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned status and its refusal to deploy foreign weapons, including nuclear ones, on the country's territory.