Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov stated on the 16th that Russia has not yet received any signals regarding the outcome of the U.S.-Ukraine talks on the Ukraine issue held in Berlin, Germany.
Ukrainian President Zelensky held talks with U.S. Presidential Envoy Whitkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Trump's son-in-law, on the 14th and 15th in Berlin.
Peskov said that before arranging a new round of negotiations on the Ukraine issue, it is necessary to understand the outcome of the US-Ukraine talks with European participation. Russia has not yet seen the joint statement text from EU leaders regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and will not comment on related media reports.
According to media reports, late in the evening of the 15th, leaders of several European countries and the EU issued a joint statement pointing out that, in the context of reaching an agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States and Europe would jointly provide Ukraine with security guarantees. This includes continued support for Ukraine to build up its armed forces, enabling it to maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops; the establishment of a "multinational force" comprising countries willing to participate within a European-led "volunteer coalition" framework, supported by the United States, to assist the Ukrainian military in modernization, ensure security of Ukraine’s airspace and waters, and carry out operations within Ukraine.
Peskov said that Russia hopes for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine issue, but cannot give Ukraine a chance to catch its breath and prepare for further war. Russia wishes to stop the conflict, achieve its own goals, safeguard its interests, and ensure future peace in Europe. The US and Ukraine are both well aware of Russia's position.
No Concessions on Donbas and Crimea Issues
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov recently stated in an interview with ABC that Russia will not make any concessions on the issues of Donbas and Crimea, and that these topics are not up for discussion.
He said that finding a truly sustainable solution to the Ukraine crisis, addressing the root causes of the conflict, will take a long time and is very difficult. There are obvious differences among all parties regarding the solution, but Russia is willing to work to overcome these differences.