The language of ultimatums cannot be used for dialogue with Russia. This was stated by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting at a briefing on the threat of introducing new European sanctions against Russia if Moscow refuses to cease fire in Ukraine, the TASS agency reported.
Peskov said today that Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for direct negotiations to reach an agreement on the war in Ukraine has found support among world leaders, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Russia intends to find ways to achieve a long-term peaceful solution to the war, Peskov told reporters, adding that he could not say more on the topic of peace talks.
In today's publication in "Ex" Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, quoted by Agence France-Presse, said that Russia was "completely ignoring" the offer for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire made by Kiev and its Western allies, and accused Moscow of "attacking Ukrainian positions along the entire front line".
French President Emmanuel Macron announced today that he would again talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other "European colleagues" because the offer made to Russia by Washington and Brussels for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire expires tonight, Agence France-Presse reported.
"I will talk this afternoon with Volodymyr Zelensky and my European colleagues. We have outlined the working framework. Things are clear," Macron said during a visit to the French-Italian optics company "EssilorLuxottica" in the French town of Viseu. "Now we all have to be reasonable. Either Russia is serious and wants peace, or it is not serious and we will have to impose more sanctions", the French leader noted.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is seriously determined to achieve a long-term settlement of the conflict, TASS reported.
Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed direct negotiations in Istanbul without preconditions. The Kremlin spokesman added that this approach is aimed at eliminating the root causes of the conflict and establishing lasting peace. "The language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia," Peskov stressed.