Kremlin denies report on planned negotiations

According to a report by an American newspaper, the Ukrainian attack in the Kursk region thwarted plans to hold secret talks in Qatar.

Russia has rejected a Washington Post report about alleged secret negotiations to reach a partial ceasefire. “There were not, and are not, direct or indirect negotiations between Russia and the Kiev regime on the security of critical civilian infrastructure,” the State Department spokeswoman said. The US newspaper had previously reported that the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region had thwarted plans for such secret talks.

“Nobody spoiled anything because there was nothing to sabotage,” Maria Zakharova continued. According to the Washington Post report, these talks were planned in Qatar. The goal should have been to at least stop attacks on energy infrastructure. Plans for these talks were never publicly known.

Zakharova explained that the only contacts that exist are between mediators at the humanitarian level, especially in the exchange of prisoners. Russia also handed over children wanted by Ukrainians to their relatives through mediators. Zakharova explained that Kiev itself withdrew from negotiations with Moscow in the spring of 2022 and then legally banned them by decree.

The ground offensive lasted for about two weeks.

Before the ground offensive in the Kursk region that began on August 6, Ukraine repeatedly declared its readiness to negotiate peace with Russia. In Russia, this was described as a diversionary maneuver after Ukrainian forces entered the Kursk region. Then, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin essentially cast doubt on the possibility of negotiations.

In June, Putin himself made proposals to resolve the conflict. According to them, Ukraine must give up four regions that Russia has annexed but not yet fully controlled. Ukraine, on the other hand, wants to regain control of the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk, and therefore refuses to give them up.

Moscow also demanded that Kiev abandon its NATO membership and respect the rights of the country's Russian-speaking minority. Moscow also said the West should lift all sanctions on Russia. (APA/DPA)