Moscow claims Ukraine is not ‘ready’ for peace

Kremlin spokesman said in a new interview that Ukraine is to blame for a failure to make progress in peace talks and vowed that the Russian offensive would “continue” — despite Kyiv’s support for a US-backed deal.

- John Bowden, The Independent

With their respective nations still yet to reach a formal ceasefire, Ukraine and Russia's ambassadors appeared for dueling interviews Sunday on ABC News. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin, spoke to ABC’s Martha Raddatz in Moscow. “Ukraine is trying to escape from negotiations,” he claimed. Raddatz interjected: “Ukraine says they're ready for a ceasefire right now, a 30 days ceasefire.”

“But they're not ready for immediate negotiations,” Peskov said. “President Putin is doing whatever is possible to solve the problem, to achieve a settlement through peaceful and diplomatic means. But having no peaceful and democratic means at hand, we have to continue military operation.” He would go on to say that US and European weapon shipments to Kyiv would need to be halted for those talks to take place. “Otherwise, it will be advantage for Ukraine. Ukraine will continue their total mobilisation, bringing new troops to front line.

Ukraine will use this period to train new military personnel and to give a rest to their existing ones,” said Peskov. “So why should we grant such an advantage to Ukraine?”