Moscow is waiting for a signal from Kyiv to resume bilateral peace negotiations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 28, even as Russia continues its regular attacks on Ukraine.
"Kyiv should take some action in this regard (to resume talks). There is a legal ban. So far, we don't see any action," Peskov said, alluding to a Ukrainian decree banning talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands, with Kyiv accusing it of deliberately stalling peace efforts. Peskov recently said that Putin informed the U.S. about his willingness to enter negotiations with Ukraine "without preconditions."
After Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions in the fall of 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that declared negotiations with Putin "impossible" while leaving the door open to discussions with Russia under different leadership.
As Peskov's statement was published, some Ukrainian regions have been targeted by Russian Shahed drones, with attacks on the front line continuing unabated.
"All Russian statements about peace without a ceasefire are just a lie," Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak wrote on social media on April 28.
Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, called Peskov's recent remarks a manipulation.
"Peskov is manipulating again. When Russia says it is ready to start negotiations, for some reason, they forget to halt fire," Kovalenko said on Telegram.
"Without that, everything Russia says is manipulation intended to cast themselves as peacemakers."
Kyiv maintains that it is ready for negotiations but insists any peace process must preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that territorial issues can only be addressed after a full ceasefire.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's willingness to enter negotiations with Russia following a potential truce is already a "big compromise" by Kyiv.
In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his push for a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Following his meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican on April 26, Trump urged Putin to stop attacks on Ukraine and finalize a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the war.
Daria Shulzhenko
(Updated: )
