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No contacts between Moscow, Kiev on Zelensky's peace plan — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov said that apparently statements that Kiev intended to hand over its settlement plan to Moscow was "about this strange Geneva meeting on Zelensky's peace plan"

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. There have been no discussions between Moscow and Kiev regarding Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's peace plan, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the media.

"No, there have been no discussions on this score," Peskov said, while commenting on Zelensky's statement that Kiev intended to hand over its settlement plan to Moscow at a conference in Switzerland. At the same time, according to the Ukrainian president, this cannot be considered as negotiations.

Peskov said that apparently "it is about this strange Geneva meeting on Zelensky's peace plan."

"In all likelihood, this was some kind of statement concerning this platform, nothing more," he said.

On February 25, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, Andrey Yermak, admitted that the Russian side would be invited to the second conference on a settlement in Ukraine. Zelensky later confirmed that Kiev intended to hand over its settlement plan to Moscow at this conference, but emphasized that he did not consider this to be negotiations. The Ukrainian leader also added that he hoped to hold the first forum on Ukraine in Switzerland in the coming months, possibly in the spring.

Zelensky, while addressing the G20 summit in November 2022 by video link, put forward a so-called 10-point peace plan that did not take into account Moscow's position. In particular, it is about the complete withdrawal of the Russian Armed Forces beyond the 1991 borders and the re-establishment of Ukraine’s control of an "exclusive economic zone" in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Peskov later noted that Kiev's statements about a peace settlement were made without regardless of the existing realities. Moscow sees no progress in the peace process around Ukraine, he stated, and therefore will continue the special military operation.