Putin remains open to contacts with EU and Ukraine representatives

Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to contacts with representatives of Europe and Ukraine regarding conflict resolution, Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“We currently have no contacts with Europeans or Ukrainians. However, President Putin remains open to such contacts for the purpose of resolving the Ukrainian conflict. That is the status quo as of today,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Moscow is not commenting on details of US-Russia talks for Ukraine conflict

The Kremlin is not commenting on the details of the negotiations with the U.S. concerning the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow also refused to release any comment on Washington's alleged proposal to recognize Crimea as Russia.

“Individual potential elements of a settlement will not be discussed publicly. Therefore, we will not provide any comments on such nuances,” Peskov said in response to a relevant question.

Earlier, The Washington Post reported that the U.S. would propose to Ukraine and the European Union (EU) to recognize Crimea as part of Russia and freeze the current line of hostilities as a condition for a peace settlement. In return, if this option is accepted by Ukraine, Washington would offer Kyiv security guarantees.

One should treat all information about Ukraine conflict talks cautiously

One should exercise caution in relation to all information about the positions of the parties involved in the conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said.

“We urge everyone to treat such information leaks with great caution,” he stressed.

Peskov also commented on reports suggesting that Russia is ready to freeze the conflict along the current line of contact and incorporate the territories it currently controls. The official Kremlin spokesman emphasized that the work on resolving the conflict must be conducted quietly and without public statements.