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The Kremlin on Friday dismissed a proposal made by Russian ally Belarus to hold peace talks with Kyiv to address the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called for a "truce" in Ukraine and urged Russia to hold peace talks "without preconditions," but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed those calls when he told reporters, "nothing is changing in the context of Ukraine," according to The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based online publication.
While Western nations continue to provide Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid, Russian allies, including China and Belarus, haven't condemned the 13-month-old war but are calling for a resolution. However, Russia is showing no will to end the war.
"The special military operation is continuing, since this is the only way to achieve the goals that our country has today," Peskov said Friday.
Lukashenko, a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned on Friday against an escalation of the war, The Moscow Times reported.
"We must stop now, before an escalation begins. I'll take the risk of suggesting an end of hostilities...a declaration of a truce," Lukashenko said during a televised speech. "All territorial, reconstruction, security and other issues can and should be settled at the negotiation table, without preconditions."
In a similar attempt for peace and conflict resolution, China called for peace talks, but its proposal was undermined by Ukrainian lawmakers after Chinese President Xi Jinping displayed a sense of unity with Putin in the face of Western pressure during his recent visit to Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday renewed his promise to defeat Putin's troops, according to The Moscow Times.
"The battle for the foundation of the free world is taking place on Ukrainian land. We will definitely win," Zelensky said during a visit to the city of Bucha in the Kyiv region.
Bucha was the site of alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops who were withdrawing from the city. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin this month over the alleged war crimes. Russia has denied the accusations.
"Russian evil will fall right here in Ukraine and will not be able to rise again," Zelensky added.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry by email for comment.
About the writer
Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more