Russia invites Zelenskyy to Moscow for Ukraine peace talks, assures his safety: Kremlin
The development comes days after Russia, Ukraine and the United States (US) held the first-ever trilateral talks between them in Abu Dhabi last week.
Russia has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Moscow for talks to end the nearly four-year between the two sides, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday. The development comes days after Russia, Ukraine and the United States (US) held the first-ever trilateral talks between them in Abu Dhabi last week.
"We are talking about Moscow at this point," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS. "In diplomatic language, any other speculations are moot."
This is the second straight day when a top Kremlin official has said that Russia is interested in hosting Zelenskyy for peace talks in Moscow. On Wednesday, top Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia has invited Zelenskyy to Moscow if he is indeed ready for a meeting.
"In that case, we will guarantee his safety and the necessary conditions for his work," Russia Today quoted Ushakov as saying.
Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi
Last week, Russia and Ukraine, along with the US, held first-ever trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, as President Donald Trump's efforts for a peace deal has intensified. The trilateral talks were highly successfully, with a US official recently saying that the next round of talks will take place on February 1.
"I think getting everyone together was a big step," AFP quoted the official as saying. "I think it's a confirmation of the fact that, number one, a lot of progress has been made to date in really defining the details needed to get to a conclusion."
Russia's drone attacks continue
While talks are being held to end the war that broke out in February 2022, Russia's drone attacks in Ukraine have continued, with the recent one killing three people in southern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday. According to Zelenskyy, there is intelligence report that Russia is assembling forces to conduct a major aerial attack using drones.
Ukraine has alleged that through these drone attacks, Russia has been targeting its power grids and civilian infrastructure, cutting off electricity for millions in sub-zero temperatures. By launching these strikes, Ukraine has alleged that Russia is undermining the peace talks. According to Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Russia had conducted over 6,000 drone attacks in Ukraine last month, a move that forced Kyiv to change its air defence strategy.