The Kremlin on Friday ruled out any meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy before September.
Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a Russia-Ukraine summit should finalize a settlement and formalize all agreed-upon terms.
"Can such an extremely complex process be completed in 30 days? Clearly, that's hardly possible," he said when asked about the possibility of the leaders' summit before the end of August, as Ukraine proposed in this week's peace talks in Istanbul.
Besides, the draft memoranda from Russia and Ukraine are diametrically opposed, making it impossible to reconcile their positions on a settlement in a short timeframe, he added.
"Our position is well-known, it is outlined in the draft memorandum handed to the Ukrainian side," Peskov said, adding that the parties still have substantial work ahead.
