A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the end of August is highly unlikely, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Friday, Peskov said a Russia-Ukraine summit should finalise a settlement and formalise all agreed-upon terms.
"Can such an extremely complex process be completed in 30 days? Clearly, that’s hardly possible," he said when asked about the possibility of the leaders' summit before the end of August.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Türkiye will strive to bring the leaders of Ukraine and Russia together.
“This week, by holding talks with Putin and Trump, we will strive to see if we can bring these leaders together in Istanbul,” Erdogan said.
‘Diametrically opposed’
Besides, the draft memorandums from Russia and Ukraine are diametrically opposed, making it impossible to reconcile their positions on a settlement in a short timeframe, Peskov added.
"Our position is well-known; it is outlined in the draft memorandum handed to the Ukrainian side," Peskov said, adding that the parties still have substantial work ahead.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine adhere to a neutral, non-allied status and end any foreign military presence on its territory.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has called the terms an ultimatum and wants a ceasefire and face-to-face talks with Putin.
On July 23, Istanbul hosted the third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations on resolving the conflict.
Before the full meeting, delegation heads Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov held a private one-on-one discussion.
The main part of the talks lasted about 40 minutes, during which the sides reviewed their positions as outlined in the draft memorandums.
