Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov: “It is impossible to resolve the conflict with Ukraine without restoring normal relations between Washington and Moscow”

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
Photo: RIA Novosti

Russia is not going to attack anyone, it has no problems with either Finland or Sweden, which have joined NATO, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point, TASS quotes.

"No," Peskov said when asked whether Russia had plans to attack anyone. "We have not had and do not have any problems with Finland or Sweden, which have joined NATO."

He pointed out that "military infrastructures are gradually appearing on Finnish territory."

"How is Russia reacting? It takes measures to improve its security that our military deems necessary. But we have no conflict potential," Peskov noted.

He added that "fortunately, neither the Baltic countries nor Finland are firing at Russians from tanks and airplanes, in contrast to what has been happening in Donbass since 2014."

US President Donald Trump has never put forward conditions regarding a deadline for establishing a ceasefire in Ukraine, and Russia also believes that such a move would be inappropriate, Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point.

"Trump has never named any dates. We, too, don't think that setting a deadline would be appropriate. Because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin supports the ceasefire," Peskov said. Asked about a possible meeting between Putin and his US counterpart, he noted that both "want to achieve results."

"It should be a productive meeting. That is why preparatory work is underway," he said.

Peskov emphasized that talks on restoring US-Russian relations and a settlement in Ukraine are "two completely different issues."

"But it is impossible to resolve the conflict with Ukraine without restoring normal relations between Washington and Moscow," he added.

Russia intends to achieve its goals peacefully or militarily, Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We wish to achieve our goals, and we will achieve them. Peacefully or militarily," he said.

"All military analysts state that the dynamics on the frontline have developed in Russia’s favor," Peskov went on to say. "The initiative on the battlefield belongs to Russia."

He added that there is a number of conditions for a complete ceasefire, which US President Donald Trump was proposing.

"If ceasefire set in today, would France stop supplying ammunition, guns, missiles and air defense systems to Kiev the next day? Would Britain do so?" Peskov asked. "Today we are talking about peace with the Americans, but the Europeans are demanding war. We want to achieve our goals. Peacefully or militarily."

Europe wants war, not negotiations, Russia so far has no coinciding positions with it, Dmitry Peskov told France's Le Point.

"There are no coinciding positions now, as Europe wants war, not negotiations. We will not drag them there by force," he said.

According to the spokesman, Europe "has not shown any signs of independence."

"It's as if all of Europe worked for the [Joe] Biden administration! Europe is not sovereign, it did what the Biden administration asked it to do, as if every president, every prime minister was his advisor. Until now, it was Washington that played the main role," Peskov pointed out.

The withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from the territories of Russia's constituent regions of Donbass and Novorossiya is necessary to establish peace in Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov told France's Le Point.

"If Ukraine withdraws its troops from these four regions, then yes," he said when asked by the magazine's correspondent whether the conflict would end if this condition was met.

The Kremlin spokesman recalled that these regions are enshrined in the Russian Constitution as an integral part of it. He also noted that at the moment some territories of these regions are still occupied by the Kiev regime. "According to the results of the referendums, these territories have entered the administrative borders of Russia. From our point of view, this is a de jure and de facto situation," Peskov said.

Russia has successfully managed to ensure the security of residents in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, Dmitry Peskov said.

"Fortunately, Russia has already managed to ensure the safety of those living in the four regions," Peskov stated in response to a question from the publication’s correspondent. "Those who wanted to stay there have done so," he added.

Peskov emphasized that "totally transparent referendums were organized in the regions, during which the residents were able to express their position."

The Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, along with the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, were incorporated into Russia following referendums held between September 23 and 27, 2022.

Russian enterprises have bridged market gaps that emerged after Western companies left, and they do not want them to return, Dmitry Peskov said.

"If you talk to Russian business owners, you will understand that they are ready for everything to make sure sanctions remain in place. When foreign firms left our market, many niches were left vacant. They were taken by Russian entrepreneurs who invested their funds and restarted manufacturing," Peskov told.

Russian business owners still have to pay back loans taken out under certain market conditions, he added. "Why would they want the foreigners to come back? On the contrary, they do not want anyone to return," the spokesman noted.

Europe is always criticizing Russia, trying to tell it what democracy should look like, but these "lessons" are useless coming from hypocrites, Dmitry Peskov said.

"The Europeans wanted to teach us about democracy, and they started constantly criticizing [Russian President] Vladimir Putin," Peskov said. "We don't need to hear these lessons from the Europeans. We don't want these hypocrites to teach us."

He cited the example of banker Dominique Strauss-Kahn's candidacy being withdrawn for the French presidential election in 2012 on trumped-up charges as an example of this hypocrisy. "And now we Marine Le Pen is gone, who, according to polls, was quite popular," the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation emphasized.

Peskov added that "in Romania, a candidate won the election, but became objectionable because of his willingness to engage in dialogue with Russia.".

Russia has no territorial claims to the Baltic states, Dmitry Peskov said.

"Russia has no problems with the Baltic states and no territorial claims against them, even though Russians live there and their interests are constantly trampled - this particularly concerns the use of the Russian language. Brussels, by the way, does not pay the slightest attention to this," he said.

"Fortunately, there is no civil war in the Baltic states, during which a regular army would exterminate Russians only because of their nationality," Peskov went on to say.

European leaders did not want to listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin's legitimate concerns about how Moscow's security interests were being infringed upon, leading to today's sorry state of relations with the West, Dmitry Peskov said.

"I can tell you that neither [French President Emmanuel] Macron, nor other European leaders would listen to Putin when he told them that Russia was cornered in terms of its security and that this was unacceptable," he said.

Peskov mentioned the coup d'etat that took place in Ukraine and the subsequent civil war unleashed by Kiev. He noted that due to disagreements over the events in Ukraine, relations between Russia and the West "are at an impasse. We are trying to establish relations with the Americans, and believe me, it is very difficult," he added.

Russia has learned to cope with Western sanctions, while for the EU they create big problems, Dmitry Peskov told France's Le Point in the interview.

"We are used to living under sanctions," Peskov said. "This is not the main problem [for Russia]. In fact, this is Europe's main problem," the spokesman emphasized.

According to him, Europe needs "cheap security and cheap energy" to keep its high global standing. "It got security from the United States for a small price. And cheap energy from Russia," Peskov added.

He noted that the EU is currently deprived of both the former and the latter. At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman emphasized that "sanctions are a double-edged sword, hurting both Russia and those who imposed them."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump both agree that it is absurd to refuse to engage in dialogue, Dmitry Peskov said.

"Their positions are close in some areas, but this does not mean that they agree on everything," Peskov said. "Defending the interests of their countries is the priority for both of them."

"What they have in common is that they both see the absurdity of refusing to engage in dialogue. What unites them is that they are ready to solve the most difficult issues through discussions," he noted.

The Russian president’s spokesman pointed out that the administration of former US President Joe Biden lacked the desire to maintain a dialogue. He added that under Biden and [former US President Barack] Obama the Americans "attempted to teach" Russia about "democratic values."

"However, take a look at what Trump and his family had to go through! Trump managed to come back because he is a strong politician and also because he is a very strong personality," Peskov said.

Asked whether these are the qualities for which the Russian president respects Trump, Peskov answered in the affirmative, adding: "Putin himself is a strong man, so he appreciates strong people."

However, asked whether Putin respects French President Emmanuel Macron, Peskov said he "has nothing to say in this regard" to his French interviewer.

Peskov recalled the very first bilateral contacts with the French leader and the reception for Putin that was organized in Versailles. At that time, Russia "had high hopes" for the development of Franco-Russian relations, but in light of the current position of the French president on the Ukrainian conflict, the situation has changed.

Vladimir Zelensky's resignation is not among Russia’s conditions for a peace settlement in Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov told France's Le Point.

"This is not one of our demands," Peskov said when asked if Russia demanded Zelensky's resignation. "But even if the [peace] agreement with Zelensky is signed today, later there could be people in Ukraine who would legally question its legitimacy," he emphasized.

According to the spokesman, these doubts "are related to martial law and some articles of the Ukrainian constitution."

Ukraine should be a neutral country, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"A neutral status for Ukraine is necessary. And so is the recognition of reality regarding the territories," he said.

"The security of some countries should not be ensured behind the backs of others," the spokesman went on to say. "If you want to guarantee Ukraine's security and involve it in NATO, you violate Russia's security.".

Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Zelensky doesn’t control all Ukrainian military formations.

"Zelensky – and this is well known – doesn’t control all of his divisions," he said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point. "Some nationalist battalions don’t listen to him. And it is a big problem."

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs