ISTANBUL

The Kremlin on Friday denied setting any deadline for Ukraine to withdraw its troops from eastern Ukraine’s Donbas.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “No, there are no deadlines; that is incorrect.”

“We have repeatedly said that in order to stop the active phase of the military operation, Ukraine must withdraw its troops from Donbas,” he added.

His remarks came after statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said Russia had conveyed to the US that it aims to take control of Donbas within two months.

“Therefore, Ukraine has two months to withdraw, and then the war will end. If Ukraine does not withdraw within two months, then Russia will capture Donbas and then there will be other conditions,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday at the Bucha Summit, which brought together senior EU representatives.

Peskov also said Ukraine should have withdrawn its troops “yesterday.”

“This would facilitate a transition to a process of conflict resolution through political and diplomatic means,” he added.

Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of talks earlier this year, mediated by the United States, aimed at ending the conflict. The contacts were later disrupted following the US-Israeli attack on Iran last month.