Kremlin says Russia, Türkiye have many issues on agenda, including Black Sea

MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia and Türkiye have a lot of issues on the agenda of bilateral contacts, including those related to the Black Sea.

Commenting at a press briefing in Moscow on media reports claiming Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine had been negotiating an agreement on safe navigation in the Black Sea but failed to achieve any results due to Kyiv's position, Peskov said: "Indeed, we have many different topics on the agenda with our Turkish partners, we are discussing various issues, including issues related to the Black Sea. But I have nothing to say specifically about this media report."

Turning to French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to declare a cease-fire in the ongoing conflicts for the time of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Peskov said no one has taken any practical steps to implement the idea.

"Both the president and our military drew attention to the fact that, as a rule, the Kyiv regime uses such ideas and initiatives to try to regroup, rearm, and the like. This, of course, significantly complicates the process of considering such initiatives. This is the first one. And so far, no one has taken official steps in this regard," he emphasized.

The spokesman welcomed China's proposal to organize a peace conference on Ukraine that would be acceptable for both Moscow and Kyiv, praising it as "balanced and constructive."

At the same time, Peskov doubted that Kyiv would accept an invitation for such an event: "Once again, we state that at the moment, we do not record any changes in the position of the Kyiv regime on complete refusal of any negotiations."

Turning to the upcoming celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy, France, Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been invited yet.