Senior Russian security official says Kiev has yet to respond to Moscow’s peace initiative – Russian Politics & Diplomacy

BAKU, Aug. 6. /TASS/ — Ukraine has not yet responded to the peace proposals made last month by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu told reporters on Tuesday.

“Almost two months have passed, and there is still no answer,” Shoigu said. According to him, there is no point in discussing the Geneva conference on Ukraine, the so-called Zelensky formula or other formats.

“Holding negotiations without a chief negotiator looks a bit strange,” added a senior Russian security official.

In June, Putin proposed new terms for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. They included recognizing Crimea and four new Russian regions as Russian lands, establishing Ukraine’s status as a non-aligned and non-nuclear state, its demilitarization and denazification, and lifting all sanctions against Russia. Ukraine rejected the initiative. The Russian leader also noted that it was impossible to restore the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, since his powers had expired. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that Putin did not reject potential talks with Ukraine, as there were other legitimate executive bodies in the country.