Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to hold negotiations with “everyone,” including European leaders, the Kremlin said on Friday, after reports that the European Union is considering possible talks with Moscow.
The comments followed a report by the Financial Times on Thursday suggesting that some European leaders are reassessing their approach amid growing frustration over Ukraine peace efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump.
European Council President António Costa reportedly said there was “potential” for the EU to engage directly with Putin and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported such a move.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had repeatedly expressed readiness for dialogue.
“Putin is ready to negotiate with everyone. He has said this many times,” Peskov said, adding that Moscow would continue discussions “as far as the Europeans are prepared to go.”
However, he stressed that Russia would not initiate contact following what he described as the position adopted by European governments.
Moscow maintains that European states were responsible for severing ties with Russia after the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
“The Russian side did not initiate the complete breakdown in relations with the EU,” Peskov said. “That decision came from Brussels and individual European capitals.”
European leaders have repeatedly argued that Russia must be defeated in Ukraine, portraying Putin as an authoritarian leader and warning that Moscow could pose a broader threat to NATO countries if it succeeds in the war. Russia has rejected those claims as baseless.
Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022, has accused European governments of fuelling the conflict through military, financial and intelligence support for Kyiv.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Saudi Arabia is opening up to more international travellers as tourism expands beyond religious travel. In Riyadh, historic landmarks stand alongsi...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Dublin on Saturday to meet Ireland’s leaders. He will also attend a golf tournament at one of his resorts, taking a brief detour from his focus on the Iran war and his party’s efforts to retain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella has formally ended all government peace negotiations with illegal armed groups, marking a dramatic shift in the country's security strategy and delivering on a central pledge from his election campaign.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment