Kremlin on Ukraine peace talks: Do not expect miracles

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Tuesday that there was no basis to expect miracles from a proposed third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, and declined to give any time frame for a potential agreement to end the war.

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Ukraine offered to resume peace talks with Russia in Turkey, seeking a quicker ceasefire.
Russia downplayed hopes for progress, saying no "miracles" are expected.
The Kremlin gave no timeline and said much work remains before any top-level meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks in Turkey this week, and that he wants to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire.

"There is no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles - it is hardly possible in the current situation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning."

Asked if he could give a sense of how the Kremlin saw the potential time frame of a possible peace agreement, Peskov said he could give no guidance on timing.

"There is a lot of work to be done before we can talk about the possibility of some top-level meetings," Peskov added, a day after Zelenskiy renewed a call for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.