Putin accuses Kyiv of refusing to negotiate: They are doing everything to prevent peace
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed that, despite proposals to resume negotiations, Kyiv is unwilling to hold them and is doing everything to prevent peace.
Source: Interfax Russia, citing Putin's statement at a meeting of Russia's Military-Industrial Commission
Quote: "Representatives of the Kyiv regime, the leadership in Kyiv, talk about peace and propose to resume so-called negotiations, but they themselves commit such crimes and do everything to ensure that there is no peace and no negotiations."
Details: Putin also said that, since Russia could not be intimidated, Kyiv's actions could only be aimed at avoiding negotiations.
For reference: In recent years, Ukraine has repeatedly proposed holding a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin in a neutral country to negotiate an end to the war launched by Russia. However, Russia has repeatedly rejected this, insisting that any such meeting take place only in Moscow.
Background:
- On 12 September, Putin rejected Zelenskyy's proposal to hold talks on ending the war on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the US. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that Putin was only prepared to meet Zelenskyy in Moscow.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also called Zelenskyy's invitation to Moscow a "huge gesture of goodwill". He claimed that Russia remained open to negotiations with Ukraine but would not halt the war while the talks were taking place.
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