Russia awaits a response from Ukraine after handing over a new drafted proposal to end the war. According to the Interfax agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the Ukrainian delegation had been handed a draft of a possible future document. At the same time, he expressed his astonishment at statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had declared the day before that he had heard and seen nothing.
“That also raises certain questions as to why President Zelenskyy is not informed about our text versions,” says Peskov. He recently accused Kyiv of failing to engage in the negotiations. “We keep waiting.”
At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman made it clear that Russia is not backing down from its plans in Ukraine. “The special operation is proceeding according to plan. Mariupol, which used to be a gathering place for nationalist groups, has been liberated,” Peskov said. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had previously informed Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin that the port city was under Russian control. At the meeting with Shoigu, Putin had ordered not to storm the industrial zone.