Kremlin says no concrete progress on new Ukraine peace proposals

BY AHMET TAŞ | WISE NEWS PRESS

MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had received no concrete new proposal for ending the war in Ukraine, including details of a possible air ceasefire discussed by Kyiv and Washington.

The statement came ahead of a planned meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday. Ukrainian and American officials have reportedly discussed presenting Russia with an aerial ceasefire initiative as part of renewed diplomatic efforts.

Peskov also declined to address Zelenskyy’s claim that Russia was preparing to receive another 30,000 North Korean troops. On maritime security, he said Russian naval forces could adopt additional measures to protect commercial vessels from attempted seizures.

Kremlin says reported air ceasefire lacks concrete details

Peskov described reports about a possible air ceasefire as media speculation that had not yet developed into a formal diplomatic proposal submitted to Moscow.

A Ukrainian source told Reuters that U.S. and Ukrainian officials had discussed an initiative that could be presented to Russia. Publicly available reports have not explained whether it would cover all missiles, long-range drones and combat aircraft or only particular categories of attacks and targets.

The Kremlin spokesperson said there was no tangible progress regarding either the reported initiative or other proposed formulas for resolving the war.

“There are no concrete details concerning new formulas or proposals,” Peskov said, according to Reuters.

The statement does not amount to a formal Russian rejection of an air ceasefire. Moscow’s stated position is that it cannot assess an initiative whose full terms it has not received.

Any workable arrangement would need to define its duration, the weapons and targets covered, the monitoring system and the consequences of violations. It would also need to address whether attacks on military infrastructure, energy facilities and logistics sites would fall within the restrictions.

Trump-Zelenskyy meeting may focus on new diplomatic options

Trump and Zelenskyy are scheduled to meet in Washington as U.S. and Ukrainian officials explore ways to restart diplomacy with Russia. The White House confirmed the planned meeting, while Ukrainian sources said Zelenskyy had been interested in travelling to the United States once Trump’s schedule was formally confirmed.

The reported discussions extend beyond an aerial ceasefire. Officials are also considering how a limited halt in attacks could lead to a wider negotiating process, although no agreed timetable or verification mechanism has been made public.

Russia said last week that it would wait for new proposals from Trump while continuing its military operations. Peskov said Moscow remained open to engagement with Washington but gave no indication that Russia had altered its conditions for a settlement.

The Kremlin has previously demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from four regions claimed by Moscow and that Kyiv publicly abandon its ambition to join NATO. Russia said in June that those conditions had not changed.

This means a ceasefire proposal would probably need to do more than halt attacks temporarily. It would also require a framework for security guarantees, monitoring and later political negotiations on the issues the two sides have not resolved.

Claim of 30,000 more North Korean troops remains unverified

Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing to bring approximately 30,000 additional North Korean soldiers into the conflict and had been making arrangements to receive them in the Voronezh region since June.

The Ukrainian president also claimed that North Korea was preparing to supply Russia with additional ballistic missile launchers. Kyiv argues that cooperation with Moscow gives North Korean forces battlefield experience and helps Pyongyang improve its weapons systems.

Peskov declined to discuss the allegation, saying it was not Zelenskyy’s role to speak about Russia’s plans. The Kremlin’s refusal to comment neither confirms nor disproves the claim.

North Korea previously sent an estimated 14,000 troops, including reinforcements, to support Russian forces in the Kursk region, according to Ukrainian assessments reported by Reuters. Those forces were deployed under the defence partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.

No independent confirmation has yet established that a new 30,000-person deployment has begun. The figure should therefore be reported as a claim by the Ukrainian leadership rather than as a verified troop movement.

Russian navy may take additional measures to protect merchant ships

Peskov was also asked whether Russian commercial vessels could be armed in response to possible attempts by foreign states to stop or seize them.

He recalled Putin’s instruction that the Russian navy should respond carefully but firmly to attempts to take control of Russian ships. Peskov said merchant vessels could not be equipped with military weapons under Moscow’s interpretation of international maritime rules, but added that the navy could take further steps to protect them.

The Kremlin did not explain what those measures could involve. Possible options could include naval escorts, expanded air and maritime surveillance or the deployment of naval units when a vessel is considered at risk. These are inferences rather than measures formally announced by Moscow.

The maritime issue has gained importance as the war increasingly affects commercial shipping, sanctions enforcement and attempts to restrict vessels linked to Russian trade.

International law does not impose one absolute ban on armed security

Peskov’s broad statement that international maritime law prohibits the arming of merchant vessels does not fully reflect the range of existing national and international practices.

The International Maritime Organization describes firearms aboard commercial vessels as a complex legal matter on which member states take different positions. It says responsibility for deciding whether privately contracted armed security personnel may be used rests with flag states and coastal states under their respective laws.

The IMO neither generally authorises nor universally prohibits armed guards aboard merchant ships. It has issued guidance for governments, shipowners and operators concerning privately contracted security personnel in high-risk waters.

There is also a legal distinction between carrying a limited armed security team for protection against piracy and converting a commercial vessel into a military platform equipped with offensive weapons.

Peskov’s remarks should therefore be understood as the Kremlin’s legal and security position on Russian merchant vessels, rather than as a complete statement of an exception-free international prohibition.

No new diplomatic phase has begun

The Kremlin’s latest comments indicate that expectations surrounding the Washington meeting have not yet translated into a formal proposal accepted for discussion by all parties.

An air ceasefire could serve as a limited confidence-building step before broader negotiations. However, it would require answers about verification, prohibited weapons, protected targets and the response to alleged breaches.

The reported North Korean troop plans and the discussion over protecting Russian merchant ships also show that the war is producing new military risks beyond the land front, including in the air and at sea.

For now, Moscow says it has not received a sufficiently detailed new plan. The next diplomatic stage will depend on what emerges from the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting and whether any resulting proposal is formally delivered to Russia.

WiseNewsPress.com