Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that Ukraine's possible accession to the European Union is its sovereign right and Russia has no intention of “dictating“ to Kiev how to approach the issue, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Asked if Kiev could ever join the EU, Peskov said: "This is the sovereign right of every state."
"We are talking about integration and economic integration processes. "Of course, no one can dictate anything to any country, and we will not do that," he stressed.
Peskov added that Russia's position is different when it comes to Ukraine's joining military alliances.
"We have a completely different position, of course, on issues related to security, defense or military alliances," he said.
The Kremlin spokesman said this against the backdrop of a meeting between Russian and American representatives in Riyadh, where an end to the war in Ukraine is being discussed. He said that the talks in Saudi Arabia could bring more clarity to a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, but that no agreement has been reached on this issue yet.
Peskov added that Putin is ready for negotiations, including with Volodymyr Zelensky, although the powers of the Ukrainian president, whose term as president has expired, are in doubt.