On Tuesday, the Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin remains open to negotiations regarding Ukraine, but neither German Chancellor Olaf Scholz nor French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom the Kremlin wants to talk, have contacted Moscow, Ukrainian Pravda reports.

“I have heard many statements from Scholz and Macron, who said that they will continue to communicate with Putin to find ways and ways out of the situation. But there have been no initiatives recently,” said Kremlin press secretary Dmytro Peskov in an interview with Izvestia, Russia’s oldest daily newspaper.

Peskov recalled that Emmanuel Macron had spoken “5-6 times” about his readiness to call Putin, but noted that the Kremlin had never received requests for such a conversation.

“Everyone should know this: there were no requests, instructions or working out of possible dates for such a conversation,” – emphasized the press secretary of President Vladimir Putin.

His comments came after the Elysee Palace leader said on January 28 that he would continue to “talk to Russia” despite criticism, but also to China.

A day later, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in turn, announced that he would try to end Russia’s war with Ukraine through direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin.

Last year, both Western heads of state were sharply criticized for having phone conversations with the leader in the Kremlin to try to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine and then, after the war broke out, find a solution for peace.

Russia insists that Ukraine should give it territories

Also on Tuesday, Peskov said that Vladimir Putin remains open to “any contacts that can one way or another help Russia achieve its own goals.”

“For the most part, peacefully, at the negotiating table, but when it is impossible, it is also through military means, which is what we are seeing now,” he said.

Dmytro Peskov also reiterated Russia’s position that, if it wants peace talks, Ukraine must agree to the annexation of its territories claimed by Moscow.

“There are certain realities that have already become an internal factor. I mean new territories. The Constitution of the Russian Federation exists and cannot be neglected. Russia will never be able to compromise on this issue, these are important realities,” a Russian official said on Tuesday.

Russian forces do not fully control any of the four regions, and Moscow says it is fighting to “liberate” them from the control of Ukrainian neo-Nazis.

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