Kremlin issues stern warning to Kiev's announcement to abandon talks with Moscow
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Kiev would eventually be forced to negotiate, but from a much weaker position than before.
RT channel on the evening of November 13 quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Ukraine's unwillingness to dialogue leaves the Russian Federation with no other choice but to continue pursuing its goals by military means.
Earlier on November 11, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa told The Times that Kiev had “abandoned” direct negotiations with Moscow after three rounds of talks in Istanbul, citing “very little progress.” No meetings have taken place since late July 2025.
For his part, speaking to reporters on November 13, Mr. Peskov said that the Russian side had taken note of the statements of Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa.
“They are very important. In fact, these statements legitimize the situation on the ground, where the Ukrainian side is not ready to continue contacts… This is sad,” the Kremlin spokesman stressed.
According to Mr. Peskov, “in a situation where it is impossible to continue dialogue, of course we will continue the military campaign by all possible means.”
The Kremlin spokesman warned that “the Ukrainian side must realize that sooner or later it will be forced to negotiate, but from a weaker position. The position of the Kiev regime will worsen every day.”
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that more than 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded in Kupyansk and the Krasnoarmeysk–Dimitrov (Pokrovsk–Mirnograd) region of the Donbass region.
The Russian military said it had tightened the siege since then and announced it had taken control of the eastern part of Kupyansk.
“The Russian Federation really wants peace. The Russian Federation is ready to resolve the Ukrainian issue by political and diplomatic means,” Peskov added, but in the context of stalled negotiations, the Russian Federation will rely on the military to “ensure security for future generations” and fulfill other tasks set by the country’s leadership.
Moscow has insisted throughout the conflict that any agreement with Kiev must address the root causes of the crisis and include guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, as well as demilitarization, de-fascization and recognition of “territorial realities on the ground.”
