Russia gives cautious reaction to Zelensky's summit offer

MOSCOW

The Kremlin on Tuesday gave a cautious reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's apparent invitation to a future peace summit, saying that Russia first needs to understand what Kiev means before attending talks.

Zelensky said on Monday that Russia "should be" represented at a second summit on the Ukraine conflict, following high-level talks last month in Switzerland that Moscow did not attend and heavily criticised.

"The first peace summit was not a peace summit at all. So perhaps it is necessary to first understand what he means," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Zvezda television channel, responding to Zelensky's comments.

Zelensky's apparent welcoming of Russia to talks marks a change of tone from the conference in Switzerland, ahead of which the Ukrainian leader categorically ruled out inviting Moscow.

The surprise comments from Kiev come as Ukraine's forces lose ground on the front line and as the United States gears up for presidential elections that could fundamentally change the dynamic of the conflict.

Leaders and top officials from more than 90 states gathered at a Swiss mountainside resort on June 15 for the two-day summit dedicated to resolving the largest European conflict since World War II.

China and Russia were markedly absent.

The Kremlin sharply criticised the gathering, saying that any discussions on ending the conflict that did not include Russia were "absurd."

'Not worried'

Washington said Monday that it backed Ukraine's decision to invite Russia to a second summit, but expressed doubt about whether Moscow was ready for talks.

"When they want to invite Russia to that summit, of course, that is something we support," U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists.

"We've always supported diplomacy when Ukraine is ready, but it has never been clear that the Kremlin is ready for actual diplomacy," he said.

Ahead of last month's summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open for talks and would announce a ceasefire if Kiev effectively surrendered territory that Moscow claims as its own.

Zelensky slammed Putin's demands as a territorial "ultimatum" reminiscent of those issued by Adolf Hitler, and Ukraine's Western backers including the United States reacted with scorn.

However there is growing apprehension in Kiev about how a potential Donald Trump victory in November's U.S. elections might affect continued American aid to Ukraine.

The Republican Party candidate has suggested he would end the conflict very quickly if he won back the presidency, a promise Kiev fears would mean being forced to negotiate with Moscow from a weakened position.

Zelensky said on Monday he was "not worried" about the prospect of a Trump victory and that he was still counting on support from the United States, Ukraine's biggest financial and military backer.