No conditions exist for talks with Ukraine, says Russia – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov ruled out any possibility of talks between Russia and Ukraine, even as Moscow’s military action continues in Kyiv, reported Russia-based TASS.
“So far, at this moment, there are no premises for talks because everybody knows full well Ukraine’s stance on rejecting any kind of negotiations. So the special military operation continues,” said Peskov.
Reiterating Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s ‘well-known’ stance, Peskov said, “The last time he mentioned it during a conversation with [Belarusian] President [Alexander] Lukashenko.”
Asked whether the draft of the Istanbul agreement may serve as the foundation for talks with Kyiv, Dmitry Peskov said that the “Russian stance is consistent,” according to TASS report.
On April 11, Putin and Lukashenko had discussions in the Kremlin, where Putin mentioned that Russia has always been open to peaceful conflict resolution and has consistently advocated for resolving disputes in this manner.
Lukashenko suggested that the Istanbul agreements from 2022 could be used as a basis for starting negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, a spokesman for the pro-Russian underground resistance said that the Burshtyn thermal power plant in the Ivano-Frankovsk Region in western Ukraine, was hit in Russia’s overnight strike, TASS reported.
“Explosions in the Ivano-Frankovsk Region were registered in the town of Burshtyn. The town accommodates the Burshtyn thermal power plant. According to preliminary information, precisely the power plant was hit,” the spokesperson said.
He stated that five missiles hit Dnepropetrovsk, and a powerful explosion followed by a detonation was reported in Krivoi Rog. According to TASS, the majority of the missiles hit Stryi town in Lvov region.
Tripolskaya thermal power plant was destroyed in a strike carried out by Russia on April 11. The same day, the Russian defence minister claimed that Russian troops had conducted a strike on Ukrainian fuel and energy facilities in response to Ukraine’s efforts to harm Russia’s oil and gas industry sites.