Kremlin says Putin ready for talks with EU but will not make first move

The Kremlin has said Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is ready to hold talks with everyone, including Europeans, but will not initiate contact first.

Source: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as cited by Russian media outlet Interfax and reported by European Pravda

Details: On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that European Union leaders are preparing for possible negotiations with Putin. The reported shift in the EU's position is linked to European frustration with the course of US-led negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Peskov was asked to comment on remarks by European Council President António Costa about discussions with EU leaders regarding possible future negotiations with Russia.

"We will be ready to move forward in our dialogue to the extent that Europeans are ready for this. But, as Putin has repeatedly stated, given the position taken by the Europeans, we ourselves will not initiate such contacts," Peskov said.

He added that "Putin is ready for negotiations with everyone" and has stated this repeatedly.

"The Russian side was not the initiator of reducing our relations to zero. The initiators were Brussels and individual European capitals," Peskov claimed.

Background: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that EU foreign ministers will discuss the issue of potential negotiations with Russia and the EU's demands towards Moscow at the end of May.

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