
Russia is ready for dialogue with the European Union regarding the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
According to him, "the Russians are ready for talks" and it is always better to hold discussions than to move towards a full-scale confrontation, which he has described as an approach that, according to Moscow, is being encouraged by Europe.
Peskov also said that Russia would welcome a change of position from the European side, referring to recent statements by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and signals from Berlin about the possibility of direct talks with Moscow.
"Just a few months ago, such discussions did not exist at all in Europe," he said.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he is open to negotiations, if there is a will for dialogue.
However, Moscow insists that European countries are parties to the conflict, as they supply Ukraine with weapons, and therefore should not be part of the negotiating table.
Talks to end the war in Ukraine are taking place with the mediation of the United States of America, but so far no concrete progress has been made.
According to reports, the main obstacle remains Russia's insistence on the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region, a demand that has been rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a previous statement, Putin mentioned former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, with whom he maintains close relations, as a possible example of mediation. However, Ukraine has rejected the idea, citing his ties to the Russian leadership.
The Kremlin spokesman clarified today that Putin did not directly propose Schröder, but only mentioned him in response to a question.
On the other hand, Moscow has ruled out the possibility of a mediator being a figure who has held critical positions towards Russia.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear who could be a mediator acceptable to all parties at the EU level. One of the names mentioned is the European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas, but Moscow has accused her of a hostile stance and rejected the possibility of dialogue with her.