Ukraine talks must be behind closed doors – Kremlin

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov weighed in on reports that Russia seeks changes in a new US-drafted peace plan

Any Ukraine peace talks should be held “behind closed doors” rather than through megaphone diplomacy, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Speaking to Russian business daily RBK on Wednesday, Peskov declined to weigh in on a Bloomberg report claiming that Moscow is seeking changes to a 20‑point peace plan, which was purportedly negotiated by US and Ukrainian delegations.

“No, there will be no comments here. We continue to believe that everything should be conducted behind closed doors,” he said.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky unveiled a plan that would require Russian forces to withdraw from Ukraine’s Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy, and Nikolayev Regions, while freezing the conflict along current front lines in Russia’s Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson Regions. Zelensky has also demanded  ”Article 5-like ” security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European states.

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According to Bloomberg, Moscow views the 20-point peace plan as a “starting point for further negotiations” but “lack[ing] provisions important for Russia” and “fail[ing] to answer many questions.” Moscow in particular reportedly seeks guarantees against future NATO expansion and on Ukraine’s neutral status if it joins the EU.

It also reportedly wants stricter limits on Ukrainian armed forces, while believing that the document does not provide clear assurances on the status of the Russian language in Ukraine. Bloomberg also reported that Russia wants clarity on the issue of removing sanctions and on frozen Russian state assets.

Zelensky’s roadmap is a far cry from the initial 28‑point version of the US-drafted plan, which was leaked to the media last month. The plan reportedly required Kiev to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region still under Ukrainian control, pledge not to join NATO, and cut the size of its armed forces. Kiev has repeatedly rejected any concessions.

Moscow has said that the US-drafted document could serve as a basis for future negotiations. Russia maintains that a sustainable settlement is only possible if Ukraine recognizes new territorial realities, commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.