Russia says ready for further contacts with Ukraine

MOSCOW - Moscow is ready to continue contacts with Kyiv and will propose to work on a memorandum about a potential peace deal, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday.

Zakharova said Russia has "once again affirmed its desire to achieve a final, fair settlement of the crisis", adding that progress towards a resolution of the conflict cannot be achieved without tackling the root causes.

She said it is necessary to agree on many aspects, including the main principles of the settlement, the timing of the potential peace agreement and details regarding a possible ceasefire if relevant agreements are reached.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow and Kyiv must now prepare for contacts on the development of the joint memorandum regarding the peace treaty and ceasefire.

He welcomed the renewed contacts between Russia and Ukraine, saying there is no deadline for the completion of the memorandum.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on the Ukraine crisis and recent Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul.