Ukraine negotiation channels must remain confidential – Moscow

Dialogue channels aimed at resolving the conflict around Ukraine must remain non-public in order to function effectively, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that contacts on Ukraine are continuing “through several directions and several channels.” Asked whether Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was involved in these efforts, including as a possible link with Kyiv, Peskov declined to provide details.

“For these existing channels to work and function, they must remain in the shadows and stay non-public, so I will not answer your question,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov also confirmed that Putin and Lukashenko discussed Ukraine during their informal meetings at Valdai on June 26 and 27. However, he said Lukashenko did not convey any messages from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Russian leader.

The Kremlin spokesman further stressed that US negotiators, as well as Kyiv, are fully aware of Russia’s position on a potential settlement. According to Peskov, that position was outlined by President Putin at the Russian Foreign Ministry in 2024 and has remained unchanged since then.

By Jeyhun Aghazada