The Kremlin is no longer willing to negotiate with Ukraine based on the Istanbul agreements

Moscow is no longer willing to negotiate with Ukraine based on the Istanbul agreements, as “the geopolitical situation now is significantly different.”

This was stated by Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

“Indeed, a document was agreed upon. But in two years – incidentally, almost exactly two years – the situation has changed. And the geopolitical reality is significantly different from what it was in March 2022. Not taking this into account in any negotiations would be short-sighted,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Recall that the “Istanbul agreements” implied Ukraine’s neutral status and the withdrawal of Russian troops from most (or all) of the territories captured after February 24, 2022. However, the Kremlin now says that this format is no longer relevant.

At the same time, Putin’s spokesman stated Russia’s readiness for negotiations. The Kremlin once again deemed it “meaningless” to hold a peace conference in Switzerland without Russia.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to strike Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that overnight they targeted Ukrainian energy facilities “in response to attempts to damage Russian oil and gas industry facilities.”

Moscow asserts that, as a result, “the work of Ukrainian defense industry enterprises has been disrupted, reinforcements to combat zones have been disrupted, and the supply of fuel to the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been hampered.”

It is worth noting that attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have not been reported recently. The United States has called for an end to strikes on Russian refineries by Ukraine. At the same time, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated the legality of Ukrainian strikes outside the combat zones, referring to military objectives.