MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. The Istanbul treaty prepared in March 2022 can be the basis for talks on Ukraine, but a number of new realities have emerged in two years, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This [return to negotiations] is possible only in the form of dialogue, readiness for dialogue. Our readiness for negotiations was confirmed yesterday by the president [Vladimir Putin]. As a rule, negotiations are still based on something. It was said that, among other things, we could rely on this document [the Istanbul treaty - TASS], but, of course, a lot of changes have taken place since then. We have new subjects in the Constitution, which was not the case two years ago. Therefore, there are indeed a number of new realities that we cannot abstract from, but at the same time this (treaty - TASS) could be a certain basis for the start of negotiations," the spokesman said.
Peskov pointed out that any political and diplomatic search of the solution "can only be based on negotiations."
"President Putin has repeatedly confirmed his readiness for such talks," the Kremlin spokesman emphasized. "The president has also previously spoken about our readiness, it was a confirmation of our well-known position, which is often distorted in the statements of various representatives," the spokesman added, answering the question whether the Russian and Belarusian president’s words about the Istanbul talks could be seen as an offer to Kiev to resume direct negotiations without Western mediation.
The Kremlin spokesman also pointed to the Russian leader's words about the unproductive nature of the talks without Moscow's participation. "It was said and emphasized that attempts to hold forums in search of a settlement without Russia's participation can hardly be considered rational and potentially fruitful," Peskov concluded.