Kremlin denies dragging out Ukraine peace talks

MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Wednesday rejected Ukrainian and European accusations that it was stalling Ukraine peace talks, saying it plans to name its conditions for a ceasefire, but declining to give a time frame.

Moscow has for weeks defied Western pressure for a full, unconditional and immediate truce in Ukraine, where its more than three-year offensive has killed tens of thousands of people.

Despite direct talks in Istanbul with Ukrainian officials and a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump earlier this week, the Kremlin has not yielded to pressure to halt its attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Moscow — which holds the upper hand on the battlefield — is trying to “buy time” to continue its offensive and grab more land.

After his call with Trump on Monday, Putin said that Russia would present its ideas of a “memorandum” on possible steps to peace to Kyiv.

“Nobody is interested in dragging out this process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, when asked about when the memorandum could be expected.

“Everyone is working dynamically,” he added.

He also said Russia would put forward a “list of conditions for a ceasefire”, saying this was agreed at the Istanbul talks.

Peskov gave no time frame on when the “memorandum” — about which Zelensky said he had no details — nor when ceasefire conditions would be published or handed over to Kyiv.

Kyiv had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire, which was first suggested by Trump, in March.

But Russia has consistently rejected a 30-day halt in fighting proposed by the West and outlined hardline demands for a wider peace settlement.

Despite the diplomatic flurry, fighting has raged on in Ukraine this week and both sides reported attacks Wednesday.

Russia said Ukraine had launched more than 150 drones, mostly at its border regions, but also at Moscow.