The interview was announced on Telegram on Sunday by Pavel Sarubin, a journalist close to the Kremlin.
“The situation in kyiv continues to deteriorate,” Mr. Peskov stressed. “The dynamics on the front are in our favor. A responsible leader should take this into account and seriously consider Mr. Putin’s proposal,” he added.
The spokesperson also said that the Kremlin was not interested in reaching an agreement with the Ukrainian president. For Moscow, Zelensky can no longer claim to be a legitimate representative of kyiv, his mandate having expired.
Negotiations to end the war in Ukraine: Putin has given his conditions
Due to the Russian invasion of its lands, Ukraine was unable to hold elections. However, according to Ukrainian jurists, the laws of war authorize the extension of Zelensky’s powers. Moscow would challenge this interpretation with the aim of sowing trouble in Ukraine and undermining Zelensky’s credibility on the international stage.
A few days earlier, Putin had set as a precondition for any negotiations the total withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. Moscow also claims Crimea, annexed in 2014. Ukraine has brushed aside these demands, calling them absurd.
War in Ukraine: “Russia and its leaders are not ready for a just peace”
