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Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that he had no observations that an agreement had been reached in the negotiations with Ukraine, and said, “There is a long way to go”.
Peskov said, “Russia avoids publicly commenting on the solution proposals on the table, commenting will not help the negotiations.”
Peskov also touched upon the plan for gas payments in rubles and stated that it will take time to implement this practice.
Peskov told reporters that paying for Russian gas in rubles will take time, despite the presidential decree ordering the transition on March 31.
With a decree, Putin instructed the government and the Russian Central Bank to make the necessary preparations.
Withdrawal was evaluated as tactical
While Russia made a commitment to reduce its operations around Kyiv in the Istanbul talks, the western world, especially the USA, is cautious about this commitment. US President Joe Biden stated that they will wait to see if Moscow will fulfill its promise. The Pentagon said that the Ukrainian capital is still under threat . Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby stated that the repositioning of Russian forces does not mean a real withdrawal. Analysts also see the reduction of military operations as a limited and tactical withdrawal. According to a source close to the Kremlin, reducing operations does not mean a ceasefire or a complete withdrawal from the vicinity of Kyiv. Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy evaluated the results of the Istanbul negotiations as “positive signals”. Russia gave the green light to the meeting between Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin if a suitable ground was provided.
