The Kremlin will
study the proposal, according to the spokesman.
MOSCOW, July 8.
/TASS/. Russia is not ready to give a response to Ukrainian President Vladimir
Zelensky’s offer on holding talks to settle the crisis in Donbass, to be
mediated by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France, but will
definitely study this proposal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
"I’m not ready
to answer now, this is an absolutely new format," Peskov said. "We
need to understand if the meeting has any prospects and what kind of a format
is being suggested," Peskov explained.
"This is a new
initiative, and certainly, it will be considered, but now I cannot give any
response," he said.
Speaking on the
possible US participation in the talks, Peskov noted Washington is not a party
to the Normandy format (Russia, Germany, Ukraine and France) and its
representatives were not signatories to the Minsk agreements. Earlier,
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky suggested meeting with Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Minsk and that the encounter should be mediated by the United
States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
The Ukrainian leader
said the sides needed to discuss the issue of "who owns Crimea and who is
not present in Donbass." Zelensky suggested that the talks should involve
US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Kiev-Moscow TV
linkup initiative
The initiative of two TV channels, Ukraine’s NewsOne and Russia’s Rossiya-1, to organize a TV bridge "deserves high marks," according to the Kremlin spokesman.
"This initiative
of two TV channels can only be welcomed from our point of view," Peskov
said.
Despite all
"political and diplomatic troubles between the two countries," nobody
has cancelled communication of the two peoples. "This communication
continues, directly and indirectly. That is why, we believe this initiative
deserves high marks," Peskov stressed.
The initiative to
hold a Kiev-Moscow TV linkup was announced on Sunday, July 7, by TV host Dmitry
Kiselyov during his Vesti Nedeli (News of the Week) program on Rossiya-1 TV
channel. The program was meant to be hosted jointly with Ukraine’s NewsOne TV
channel, which is part of a media group owned by Chairman of the Political
Council of Ukraine’s Opposition Platform - For life party Viktor Medvedchuk.
Some Ukrainian
parties have strongly dismissed the TV linkup idea. The NewsOne TV channel
announced on Monday that the program was expected to inspire politicians to
hold an open dialogue for the sake of peace.
Ukraine’s Newsone TV
channel later cancelled the Kiev-Moscow TV bridge citing threats of physical
violence against its employees.
Source: ITAR-TASS
08-07-2019
