Russia-Ukraine talks halted: Kremlin blames European countries

Shafaq News – Moscow

On Friday, the Kremlin accused European countries of hindering the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, affirming that Moscow remains open to talks.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have held three rounds of direct talks this year in Istanbul, most recently on July 23, which have yielded several agreements to return prisoners of war and the bodies of the dead.

"The channels of communication are in place and functioning. Our negotiators have the opportunity to communicate through these channels. But for now, it is probably more accurate to say that there is a pause,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.

He accused Kyiv of not recognizing what he calls "the realities on the ground", while Ukraine says Moscow is feigning interest in talks where it continues trying to take more of its territory.

Moscow has bridled against proposals by European countries and Britain to provide security guarantees to Ukraine that might involve deploying NATO troops on the ground after any peace settlement, saying it could not accept such a move.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin described his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska as “extremely productive”, calling it an important milestone that came at a timely moment.