New York: The Kremlin said on Wednesday that there were still no grounds for Russia and Ukraine to resume peace talks, even as senior US and Russian officials prepared to meet in New York to discuss the war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained open to peace negotiations but that the conditions for resuming them had not yet been established.
His comments came ahead of a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday. The meeting is taking place on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where leaders and senior officials from around the world have gathered this week.
The meeting comes as Washington continues diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. However, there was no confirmed agreement for Russia and Ukraine to resume direct peace negotiations.
Peskov also said there were no concrete plans for other high level meetings with Washington or Kyiv to discuss a possible peace agreement.
The Kremlin spokesman repeated Moscow's position on a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Zelenskyy could travel to Moscow and that security guarantees would be provided.
Ukraine has rejected Moscow as the proposed location for such a meeting and has called for direct talks to be held in a neutral country. There is currently no confirmed date or location for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.
The latest Russian position comes a day after Zelenskyy met US President Donald Trump in New York. The two leaders discussed efforts to end the war and possible steps to reduce attacks on energy infrastructure.
After the meeting, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for an energy ceasefire if Russia also stopped attacks on Ukraine's energy system. He said Ukraine was ready to stop attacks on Russian energy facilities if Russia stopped attacks on Ukraine's electricity, heating and water systems.
The proposal follows an earlier attempt to halt attacks on energy facilities that quickly broke down after further strikes by both sides.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no energy agreement currently in place. Washington has continued to say that the war will ultimately have to end through negotiations.
The diplomatic activity has continued while Russia and Ukraine remain engaged in military operations.
Russian strikes have continued to hit parts of Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces have carried out attacks against Russian targets, including energy infrastructure.
The continuing attacks remain a major challenge for diplomatic efforts. Washington has been seeking ways to bring Russia and Ukraine closer to negotiations, but Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over the conditions for such talks.
The disagreement over a possible Putin and Zelenskyy meeting is one example of the wider differences. Russia has said the Ukrainian president could come to Moscow, while Ukraine has rejected that proposal and favoured a neutral venue.
Major issues surrounding any future peace agreement also remain unresolved, including territory and security arrangements.
The Rubio Lavrov meeting is therefore taking place at a sensitive point in the diplomatic process. Washington continues to maintain contact with both Moscow and Kyiv, while Russia says it remains open to negotiations but does not believe the conditions for formal peace talks currently exist.
For now, the diplomatic contacts in New York have not produced a confirmed new peace agreement or a broader ceasefire. The fighting continues as Washington, Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over the conditions for a return to direct peace negotiations.