Pope Leo XIV had previously proposed to host the next round of negotiations between Moscow and Kiev
There are currently no formal agreements on holding negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in the Vatican, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, noting that there is no set location at all for the next round of talks.
His comments come after the Wall Street Journal claimed on Wednesday, citing sources, that Russian and Ukrainian delegations are allegedly set to meet in the Vatican sometime in mid-June. On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Pope Leo XIV had confirmed his willingness to host the talks.
Peskov, however, has stressed that such a decision must be made by all parties involved and stated that “so far, no decision has been made on the location of further negotiations.”
Last week, Russia and Ukraine held their first round of direct negotiations since Kiev unilaterally abandoned peace talks in 2022 in Istanbul, Türkiye. After the meeting, both sides agreed to hold a massive prisoner exchange and to conduct further negotiations.
According to media reports on what was discussed during the negotiations, Kiev allegedly reiterated its demands for an immediate ceasefire, which the Russian side declined. Moscow has repeatedly cited concerns that the truce would be exploited by Ukraine to rearm and regroup its forces.
Meanwhile, according to Reuter’s sources, Moscow reportedly requested during the talks that Kiev withdraw its troops from all Russian territories, including the four former Ukrainian regions which officially became part of Russia following public referendums in September 2022: the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kerson Region and Zaporozhye Region.
Previously, Moscow also demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Kursk Region, where Kiev had launched an incursion last year. However, the region was recently fully liberated by the Russian military and was visited earlier this week by President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Peskov noted that the Russian leader also has plans to visit the Lugansk and Donetsk people’s republics, but noted that it will still take some time until these trips could be realized.
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