(Moscow) The Kremlin on Thursday accused Ukraine of pulling out of peace talks in March with Russia “on orders” from the United States, when “a very, very difficult balance had been reached” between Kyiv and Moscow.
Posted at 7:23 a.m.
“The text was actually ready. […] And then, suddenly, the Ukrainian side disappeared from the radar, (it) said that it no longer wanted to continue the negotiations,” lamented Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, saying that Vladimir Putin had considered “obvious” that “such a rejection of the agreements already agreed clearly occurred on the orders of Washington”.
“It is quite obvious,” he hammered to the press.
On Wednesday, the Bissau-Guinean Umaro Sissoco Embalo, current president of ECOWAS, had affirmed in Kyiv that Vladimir Putin, whom he had visited the day before, “had expressed the idea that he was ready to negotiate with the president Zelensky”.
Asked about these remarks, Mr. Peskov assured that Russia was “ready to guarantee its interests at the negotiating table”.
“We want it, but in this specific case, we are talking about a total reluctance on the part of Ukraine”, he regretted, specifying that “there was no specific message” in addition for the Ukrainian Presidency.
Volodymyr Zelensky had quickly swept away any possibility of discussions with Moscow, denouncing “the prepared rhetoric” of Vladimir Putin.
He was even more categorical at the end of September, assuring that Ukraine would not negotiate with Russia as long as Vladimir Putin is president.
Talks between Kyiv and Moscow have stalled since March, with both sides blaming each other for the standoff.
Ukraine further restricts electricity consumption after new Russian strikes
Electricity consumption will be further restricted in the central regions of Ukraine, after new Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency announced on Thursday.
“To avoid a complete shutdown (of supply) in the center (of the country), the energy sector is forced to impose stricter restrictions” on electricity consumption, warned on Telegram Kyrylo Tymoshenko .
The regions of the capital Kyiv, Cherniguiv, Cherkassy and Zhytomyr are concerned, he said, without specifying whether the strikes had caused victims.
STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE PHOTO, PROVIDED TO REUTERS
For more than two weeks, Russia has been increasing its strikes on the Ukrainian network, leading to the destruction of at least a third of its capacities, just before winter.
“Such measures allow energy companies to quickly repair damaged installations and maintain the balance of the electricity production system,” said Ukrainian operator Ukrenergo.
The governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiï Kouleba, for his part called on the inhabitants to “prepare for emergency power cuts of indefinite duration”, and to “consume electricity with moderation”.
“It is a forced step to stabilize the situation,” he added.
In the capital, power cuts lasting 4 hours, alternating by district, have already been carried out daily for several days.
For more than two weeks, Russia has been increasing its strikes on the Ukrainian network, leading to the destruction of at least a third of its capacities, just before winter.