Moscow is ready to discuss Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"We have always said this, and I would like to emphasize this once again, we are ready for negotiations on the Ukrainian issue," Putin said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Russian president said that some issues require special attention. He recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously issued a decree prohibiting such negotiations, Xinhua news agency reported.
"How could talks resume now when negotiations are banned?" Putin asked, saying that if talks resumed, they would not be legal in accordance with the current Ukrainian legislation.
Putin said that as long as the decree remains in place, it will be difficult to talk about whether these negotiations can begin, or whether they can be properly completed. He noted that while some preliminary discussions can happen, serious negotiations would be difficult given the existing ban from the Ukrainian side.
The Russian leader said Zelensky "was in no hurry" to lift the decree banning negotiations, and follow the orders of his sponsors. He said that those who are funding Kiev should pressure the Ukrainian leader to do so.
In his speech at the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that US efforts toward a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine were "hopefully underway," and that Ukraine was ready to make a deal.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that Moscow is ready for talks on nuclear disarmament with Washington but that these discussions would need to take into consideration the nuclear arsenals of the US' allies.
While virtually addressing the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, US President Donald Trump requested denuclearisation, also stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the initiative.
"In the interests of the whole world and the peoples of our countries, of course, we are interested in starting this negotiation process as soon as possible," Peskov said.
"In the current conditions … it is necessary to take into account all nuclear potentials," Peskov stressed, adding that it would be impossible to discuss disarmament without addressing the nuclear potentials of France and Britain.
Peskov said that while such negotiations are important, "time has already been lost," and the "ball is now in Washington's court.".
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