Ukraine Conflict: Russia Ready for Talks, Seeks Kyiv’s Consent

Russia is ready to pursue a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis but is awaiting a signal from the Ukrainian government to restart direct talks. Dmitry Peskov, representing the Kremlin, highlighted the dynamic nature of the battlefield and Kyiv’s hesitation regarding a third round of negotiations. He affirmed Russia’s preference for resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means. Previous discussions took place in Istanbul earlier this year. The United States has resumed weapon shipments to Ukraine. On the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held discussions about the situation in Ukraine, and the provision of military assistance. Rubio advocated for European nations to enhance their military aid to Kyiv, including providing more Patriot air defense systems.