Russia yet to analyze EU statement on security guarantees to Ukraine: Kremlin

MOSCOW

The Kremlin spokesman said on Tuesday that the Russian leadership has yet to see the joint statement by the EU leaders on security guarantees to Ukraine.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov said that so far, the Kremlin has only seen media reports allegedly citing the content of the document.

"We have only seen newspaper articles so far, and we will not respond to newspaper articles. We have not seen any texts yet. Once we see them, we will analyze them," he said.

Commenting on the idea of a "Christmas ceasefire" with Ukraine, Peskov emphasized that Russia is pursuing durable peace and is unwilling to substitute it "with fleeting, ineffective solutions."

"Our position is well-known, consistent, transparent, and understandable to Americans. Overall, it is also understandable to Ukrainians, we are convinced of this. If Ukrainians harbor or begin to dominate the desire to replace a negotiated settlement with fleeting, ineffective solutions, we are hardly inclined to participate in this," Peskov noted.

The spokesman added: "We want peace, not a truce that would allow Ukraine to catch its breath and prepare for continuation of the war. We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future. That's what we want."

Following talks in Berlin, EU leaders issued a joint statement on Monday, outlining proposed security guarantees for Kyiv.

The guarantees would include the formation of a European-led, multinational force for Ukraine backed by a "coalition of the willing" with US support, which would help rebuild Ukraine's armed forces, secure its airspace and maritime areas, and conduct operations inside the country.

The leaders asserted that "international borders cannot be changed by force" and that any decisions on territorial concessions must be made by the Ukrainian people only after reliable security guarantees are in place.

They emphasized that certain issues should be resolved only in the final stages of talks, and any settlement must ensure the long-term security of the Euro‑Atlantic area and NATO's deterrent role. Matters concerning the EU and NATO, the statement noted, should be discussed directly by their respective member states.

Asked about the date of the last phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Peskov said "it was comparatively recent."

The day before, Trump claimed that he had recently spoken with Putin.

"Check the date of our last statement about a phone conversation. Generally speaking, it was comparatively recent," he explained, specifying that there had been no further phone conversations since then.

The last Kremlin statement about a conversation between the Russian and US leaders dates back to Oct. 16.