Kremlin: We want talks despite 'military operation'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that while Russia's Armed Forces are successfully striking Ukrainian military infrastructure, Moscow remains interested in continuing negotiations.

During a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said that Ukraine also conducts attacks on Russia, frequently targeting civilian targets.

"The special military operation continues. As you can see, strikes against Russian infrastructure are also ongoing, often targeting peaceful civilian infrastructure, which are carried out by the Kyiv regime. The tasks assigned to the Russian armed forces are being fulfilled," he said.

Peskov emphasized that Russia's strikes continue to be directed exclusively at military and associated infrastructure.

The official also clarified that Russia has not reached any agreements with Ukraine regarding the establishment of an air ceasefire.

"No such agreements have been made. I will repeat once again: everything that could potentially be discussed in the search for paths toward a settlement must be discussed discreetly," the Kremlin spokesperson emphasized.

This statement came after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggested that an air ceasefire could be the first step toward resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Peskov reiterated the dual-track approach, saying: "The strikes were successful, and the objectives were destroyed. The special military operation continues. At the same time, Russia remains interested in continuing the negotiation process to achieve the goals set before us through political-diplomatic means."

When asked if Russia plans to take additional measures to protect its refineries from Kyiv attacks, Peskov responded: "The fuel market is fully supplied."