The Kremlin has said it is open to negotiations with Ukraine on ending the conflict while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains in power – despite publicly questioning his legitimacy to rule.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday during a visit to China that Kyiv was prepared for talks with Russia provided Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were fully respected,  but conceded that Ukraine had seen no sign of that.

“Russia is generally open to a negotiation process. But first we have to understand how ready the Ukrainian side is for this and how much the Ukrainian side has permission for this from its handlers,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

“Because so far you see very different statements being made, and it is not quite clear yet. Besides, in addition to the problem with Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, there is also a problem with a [Ukrainian] legal ban on having any contacts and negotiations with the Russian side. 

“Therefore, there is still a lot to be clarified and clarifications to be heard,” he added. 

“From a practical point of view we are open to achieving our goals through negotiations. Therefore, different options are possible here.”