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Kiev suggested meeting with Putin, but topic of discussion remains unknown — Kremlin

Earlier, the Russian president, commenting on the words of the Ukrainian leader about a personal meeting, noted that if they were to discuss the problems of Donbass, the Ukrainian leadership should first meet with the heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics

MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Kiev has repeatedly suggested to Moscow that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky be arranged, but the Russian side has a question about the negotiating agenda, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"We have repeatedly received signals from Kiev suggesting to meet, but each time Kiev did not give us an answer to a simple question: why and what is the purpose," the Kremlin spokesman specified.

According to him, the Ukrainian side says "let's meet," but on the topic of Donbass. "We say, 'Look, why don’t you and the Donbass people talk about Donbass? Do you have questions for us on other topics?’ With that, they stay silent," Peskov noted.

Earlier, the Russian president, commenting on the words of the Ukrainian leader about a personal meeting, noted that if they were to discuss the problems of Donbass, the Ukrainian leadership should first meet with the heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR). That, according to Putin, is where the conflict settlement in eastern Ukraine should begin, and then discuss these issues with any third country, including Russia. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the conflict in Donbass is a domestic Ukrainian conflict, and Russia, along with the OSCE, France, and Germany, only act as an intermediary in its settlement within the framework of the Minsk accords.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reported that the prospect of contacts between Moscow and Kiev at the highest level is not yet visible, as the modalities and status of the previous agreements have not changed. At the same time, he spoke about Putin's readiness for such a dialogue if there was an appropriate agenda, which has been repeatedly stressed.

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