Kremlin says Russia committed to agreements with Ukraine despite Kyiv's stepping back on POWs swaps

MOSCOW

Russia remains committed to the agreements with Ukraine reached during the previous round of negotiations in Istanbul and always honors its commitments, unlike the other side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said Kyiv's "excuses and justifications" for refusing to exchange prisoners of war and bodies of fallen soldiers hardly qualify as credible.

"We've heard countless excuses and justifications, but they're unlikely to be believable," he said.

Moscow accused Kyiv of disrupting the exchange of war prisoners and bodies of fallen soldiers agreed upon in Istanbul last week, claiming the first round had to take place on June 7.

Ukraine says it decided to postpone the swap of prisoners of war to next week, while the date for exchanging the bodies was not set.

Peskov declined to comment on Kyiv's claims that the date of the last exchange was supposedly not agreed upon and Moscow chose it unilaterally, urging to "listen carefully again" to a statement by the head of the Russian negotiating team with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinsky.

"He answers all your questions there," Peskov remarked.

The Kremlin spokesman urged waiting until early next week to assess "how the other side's position will evolve."

Asked whether Russia appealed to international organizations for assistance in transferring the bodies of deceased servicemen, Peskov responded negatively.

"Not yet, because there was a bilateral agreement. First, we need to understand whether the other side refuses to fulfill these obligations," he said.

There is currently no precise understanding regarding a new round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations, but maintaining contact is necessary, Peskov added.

"Depending on how the situation develops, ideally, the discussion should turn to continuing negotiations and organizing the next round. At the moment, there are no definitive understandings on this matter," he stated.

Turning to NATO's intention to increase its air defense capabilities by 400%, Peskov said it is another example of "extracting taxpayers' money from alliance countries under the guise of an ephemeral 'Russian threat.'"

"If governments of European countries and members of the North Atlantic Alliance choose to behave this way towards their taxpayers, they will continue to do so," he noted.

Peskov stressed that recently NATO "dropped all masks" and now is openly demonstrating "its true nature as a tool of aggression and confrontation."

"This alliance was created for confrontation and until now concealed its essence. Now it reveals its true character openly," he said.

Russia will have to respond to such "aggressive" actions by NATO and its member states, including newly joined members that are in close proximity to its borders, he said.