The Kremlin on Wednesday denied accusations by European and Ukrainian officials that it is deliberately stalling the peace process with Ukraine. Responding to questions about a possible Vatican-hosted round of talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that no decision has been made yet regarding the venue for the next Russia–Ukraine negotiations.
His comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that it would be “great” if Russia and Ukraine could hold ceasefire negotiations in the Vatican, noting that such a location would give the process greater weight. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed on Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV had expressed willingness to host the next round of peace talks.
Peskov stated that Russia “welcomes the readiness and efforts of all parties who wish to contribute to a speedy resolution,” but emphasized that no final decision has been made regarding where the next meeting will be held. He also noted that Moscow has not yet received any concrete proposals from the Vatican.
Last week, Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Constantinople for their first direct negotiations since March 2022, where they agreed to a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 captives from each side. However, Russia refused to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, a demand raised by Ukraine.
The peace efforts have drawn increased scrutiny following a phone call between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Monday. During the call, Putin said that Russia and Ukraine would work toward drafting a memorandum for a future peace agreement, triggering new accusations from Kyiv and several European capitals that Moscow is not negotiating in good faith and is instead stalling the process.
Peskov firmly rejected those claims, stating: “No one is interested in prolonging the process. Everyone is working actively. We will keep you updated. Naturally, most of this work is being done discreetly and, for obvious reasons, should not be made public.”
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Kontantinos Menyktas
