Aborted peace deal could be basis for Ukraine talks, says Kremlin

An aborted 2022 peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be the basis for new negotiations but there is no sign that Kyiv is ready for such talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia and Ukraine were on the verge of agreeing a deal to end hostilities at talks in Istanbul in April 2022, but that the agreement was sabotaged.

In remarks on Thursday, Putin again raised the subject and said he was open for what he called realistic talks but not for talks which Ukraine is holding which seek to bypass Moscow and do not, in his view, take new realities into account.