Putin's aide confirms no peace talks due to war spreading into Russia’s Kursk Oblast
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has ruled out the possibility of peace talks, citing the recent escalation of the war, which has now spread to Russian territory. Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, made the announcement on Aug. 19, according to AFP.
"At this stage, given the escalation, we will not enter into negotiations," Ushakov stated.
He emphasized that the start of peace talks is "absolutely inappropriate" at this time and added that further decisions would depend on developments on the battlefield, particularly in the Kursk region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed this sentiment on Monday, a message that was widely shared by Russian state media.
"The president made it clear that after the incursion into the Kursk region, there is no question of negotiations," Lavrov said.
Lavrov also mentioned that Putin plans to "assess" the situation in the Kursk region, where Ukraine has taken control of more than 90 settlements during the second week of their operation. Putin's assessment is expected to come "a little later."
Meanwhile, on August 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at a meeting of Ukrainian diplomatic mission heads, called for a second round of the peace summit to be organized this year. Zelenskyy stressed that "we must work together with our partners to force Russia to agree to peace."
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