Preparations for upcoming trilateral negotiations involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine will not require a suspension of fighting along the front line, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
Peskov emphasized that Moscow was seeking a lasting peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire that could allow Ukraine to reorganize its forces.
Russia has repeatedly opposed any truce that would provide Kyiv with an opportunity to regroup, the state-run TASS news agency quoted the Kremlin spokesperson as saying.
He confirmed that Moscow had no intention of suspending its military operations ahead of the trilateral negotiations scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in November.
When asked whether European countries would participate in the discussions, Peskov said their involvement had not yet been formally considered.
However, he acknowledged that European participation might become necessary at a later stage, although no detailed discussions on the matter had taken place.
Peskov also addressed Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying they would not threaten the planned negotiations.
He added that Moscow did not intend to raise the refinery attacks during the Abu Dhabi meeting, arguing that the issue should instead be discussed directly between Washington and Kyiv.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE