Kremlin says Russia open to peace talks with Ukraine, not ceasefire

Russia remains open to peaceful settlement of the war against Ukraine and has not changed its position on the need for peace rather than a ceasefire, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He also claimed the Kremlin has not recorded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's refusal of an invitation to visit Moscow. Peskov stated Russia seeks peace, not a temporary truce, and called the European Union's decision to transfer 8 billion euros from frozen Russian asset profits to Ukraine "illegal" and "theft". He also said no official refusal from Zelenskyy regarding the Moscow invitation has been registered. On September 9, the Kremlin mentioned possible resumption of trilateral talks involving Russia, the US, and Ukraine. On September 24, Zelenskyy said such a meeting could potentially occur in December in Miami during the G20 summit, describing it as an opportunity for productive negotiations.