Kremlin says Ukraine’s non-NATO status key issue in peace talks

A legally binding document committing Ukraine to non-membership in NATO is a cornerstone of negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

During the briefing, Peskov noted that the issue was naturally one of the key ones and required special discussion alongside others, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

The spokesperson stressed that this was precisely what the negotiation process was about and reiterated that they did not want to conduct it in a megaphone format.

He emphasised that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to peace and serious decisions on Ukraine.

“Here one can speak only for the Russian side and for President Putin: he is open to peace, to serious peace, and to serious decisions,” Peskov said.

The spokesperson added that it would be ungrateful to speak about specific timelines for achieving peace in Ukraine. “I would not venture to talk about any deadlines. I think that would be the most ungrateful thing to do at this point,” Peskov stated when asked whether it was realistic to reach an agreed position by Catholic Christmas, as US President Donald Trump would like.

According to Peskov, Trump is sincerely working toward a settlement and wants the conflict resolved, with both he and his team making efforts that Moscow highly values.

He also said the United States does not inform Russia in real time about the course of contacts on Ukraine in Berlin, adding that Moscow expects to receive information after the talks conclude.

By Jeyhun Aghazada