Kremlin Dials Down Hopes for Groundbreaking Progress in Upcoming Ukraine Peace Talks

On Tuesday, the Kremlin continued to temper expectations regarding the imminent peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, expressing skepticism about any significant progress occurring soon.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media, «There is no basis for anticipating a miraculous breakthrough. Under the current circumstances, that seems unlikely.»

He emphasized the Kremlin’s commitment to its interests, stating, «We aim to pursue and secure our objectives, which we established from the outset.» Peskov cautioned against establishing a timeline for a possible peace agreement, citing the presence of numerous factors influencing the negotiations.

Moreover, he did not provide a specific date for the next round of discussions, only indicating that the Kremlin was «hopeful» they might occur later this week.

«We’ll disclose the timeline once we are prepared,» he informed reporters. «The negotiation process is quite intricate. We will need to address the draft memorandums exchanged during the second round of talks, among other matters.»

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that the third round of discussions was scheduled for Wednesday. However, an anonymous source informed Russia’s state news agency TASS that the talks were set to occur on Thursday instead.

Russia and Ukraine have conducted two rounds of face-to-face peace discussions this year, with the first occurring on May 16 and the second on June 2, both held in Istanbul.

While both sides reached agreements on significant prisoner swaps during the talks, no substantial progress has been made toward a comprehensive ceasefire agreement or an end to the full-scale invasion initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this coverage.