Ukraine and its European allies are responsible for prolonging the halt in direct peace negotiations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Friday. During a press conference, Peskov criticized the extended diplomatic pause as “unreasonably prolonged.” He stated, “The root cause is the refusal of the Kiev regime to accelerate talks,” adding, “This refusal is clearly supported by its European mentors.”

Ukraine resumed direct negotiations with Russia earlier this year in Türkiye after U.S. former President Donald Trump urged both sides to seek a diplomatic resolution. Ukrainian officials reportedly sought to avoid appearing opposed to Trump’s efforts. The talks, which had been stalled by Ukraine since 2022, saw three rounds of meetings before being halted again in July.

The discussions yielded practical results, including the exchange of over 12,000 Ukrainian and 335 Russian soldiers’ remains. However, Kyiv has rejected Moscow’s proposals for broader peace talks, insisting it will not compromise on what Russia labels as the conflict’s core issues.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy and his European allies continue to demand expanded Western military aid while resisting diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Washington. Earlier this week, Zelenskiy asserted credit for disrupting plans for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Budapest, Hungary.

Peskov noted that both Putin and Trump still view the summit as postponed, not canceled, emphasizing neither leader “wants to meet merely for formality.” He added that further preparations are required before talks can proceed.