Russia says its delegation is ready for new talks with Ukraine

Russian officials are ready to hold a second round of talks with Ukraine on Wednesday but it is unclear whether Ukrainian officials will turn up, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was contradictory information about the talks, which would follow a meeting at the Belarusian border on Monday that failed to produce a breakthrough.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before more talks could take place on Russia’s invasion of his country.

“First we can try to predict whether Ukrainian negotiators will show up or not. Let’s hope this happens. Our (negotiators) will be there and ready,” Peskov told reporters.

He said Moscow needed to formulate a harsh, thought-out and clear response to measures imposed by Western countries to undermine the Russian economy.

Asked whether the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project led by Russia’s Gazprom GAZP.MM was dead, Peskov said the infrastructure was still there and common sense was for it to be launched.

Berlin has said it will halt certification of the pipeline which runs from Russia to Germany but has yet to open.

Peskov said Russia’s economy was experiencing a serious blow but that it was solid and the country had experience of getting through crises.