Dmitry Peskov was asked to comment on how the Kremlin sees negotiations with Ukraine, if Moscow considers Vladimir Zelensky as an illegitimate president.
Anticipating the answer to this question, the Kremlin spokesman said that Russia is generally open to the negotiation process. But it is necessary to understand how ready Ukraine is for this and whether the Ukrainian side has permission from its curators to do so. According to him, different statements are being made now and the position on this issue is not yet entirely clear.
In addition, there remains the problem of the legislative ban on contacts with Russia. “Here we still have a lot to clarify before the contacts begin,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
Whether Moscow is ready to negotiate directly with Zelensky or whether another representative, legitimate from the Kremlin’s point of view, is needed for them to begin, according to Peskov, “is not an easy question.” “From a legal point of view, this is a problem,” he confirmed. «However, from a practical point of view,» the presidential spokesman added, «we are open to negotiations to achieve our goals, so different options are possible here.»