Today's Edition
MOSCOW (AFP)
Russia pushed back Wednesday against the idea of European peacekeeping troops being deployed to Ukraine, and downplayed chances of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in another blow to the chances of a peace deal.
US President Donald Trump has recently met both Zelensky and Russia's President Vladimir in his bid to end the conflict, which has been raging for over three and a half years.
Ukraine is pushing for Western-backed security guarantees as a part of any agreement, while Moscow is demanding Kyiv cedes more territory in its east.
When asked how the Kremlin would view any possible European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We view such discussions negatively."
Tens of thousands have been killed in the conflict, which has devastated swathes of the country and forced millions to flee their homes.
Security guarantees for Ukraine are "one of the most important topics" in talks over a settlement, Peskov said, adding Moscow would not discuss specifics of what they could look like publicly.
Kyiv is meanwhile holding talks with its key backers in a bid to firm up what any security guarantees could look like.
Zelensky also sees a meeting with Putin as crucial to breaking the deadlock over a possible deal.
But the Kremlin further pushed back against the idea a summit was likely to take place soon.
"Any high-level or top-level contact must be well-prepared in order to be effective," Peskov told reporters, including AFP, in a briefing call.
He also said the heads of Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams were "in touch" but no date had been set for future talks.
Three rounds of negotiations between the sides in Istanbul have failed to yield anything more than prisoner exchanges.
