The Kremlin today ruled out immediate progress in talks on the Ukraine conflict after the big swap of prisoners between Moscow and the West, stressing that the two processes are led by "completely different" principles, reported France Press.
"When we talk about Ukraine and about more complex international problems, the principles are completely different, these are the principles of national interests, of national security," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists when asked about the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough between Kiev and Moscow after the exchange of prisoners.
"The work proceeds in a completely different way, based on different principles,", he noted.
Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow, more than two years after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have stalled, with each side making seemingly irreconcilable demands.
In mid-June, Ukraine organized a peace summit in Switzerland with the participation of about 100 countries, mostly allies of Kiev. Russia was not invited. China, an influential world power with close ties to Moscow, refused to participate.
Nonetheless, Ukraine has announced that it will have a plan in place by November, the month of the US presidential election, whose help is vital to Kiev, which should serve as the basis for a future peace summit at which this Russia will also be invited.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to this effect this week, saying in an interview with several French media outlets, including AFP, that "the whole world", including Ukraine, wanted Moscow to participate in a peace summit this year .
For his part, Russian leader Vladimir Putin made it a condition for the negotiations that Kiev renounce the territories occupied by the Russian army, as well as join NATO - demands that remain unacceptable to Ukraine and the West.