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No special message to Zelensky sent by Putin via Guinea-Bissau president — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov also noted that "currently, de facto, Russia is actually not changing its stance, we are ready to ensure our interests at the negotiating table, we want this, but in this case this is about the complete unwillingness on the part of Ukraine"

© Sergei Ilyin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not convey any special message on possible dialogue between Moscow and Kiev to his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky via President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday.

"Our colleague from the African state expressed his willingness, he said that he would have contacts and he would convey Putin’s stance to the Ukrainian side. There is no specific message in this case and this was not discussed," the Kremlin official replied to a question as to whether the Russian leader had sent such a message. Earlier, Embalo said that this message allegedly existed.

Putin’s press secretary explained that during a recent conversation with Guinea-Bissau’s president in the Kremlin, "Putin informed his colleague about the March talks and the work of Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams." "He said that the text was practically ready, a very complex balance was achieved and how then suddenly the Ukrainian side went off the radar, declared its unwillingness to continue talks and later this unwillingness was practically turned into a law which forbade the Ukrainian side and the Ukrainian president, and all others, from holding negotiations with Russia and with President Putin," Peskov added.

"That said, the [Russian] president apparently emphasized that this unwillingness to negotiate and the rejection of the previously coordinated agreements obviously occurred on Washington’s orders. This is completely obvious," the Kremlin spokesman concluded.

He also noted that "currently, de facto, Russia is actually not changing its stance, we are ready to ensure our interests at the negotiating table, we want this, but in this case this is about the complete unwillingness on the part of Ukraine."

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Foreign policy Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov

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