Peskov denies that Russia refuses to discuss the status of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia

OLENA ROSHCHINA — TUESDAY, 7 JUNE 2022, 14:01

The spokesman for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, denied information about Russia's refusal to discuss the status of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in talks with Ukraine.

Source: [Russian propaganda news agency] RIA Novosti

Details: Izvestia [another pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet], citing a high-ranking source in Russia, said that if Kyiv gets in touch with Moscow, the status of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts will not be discussed in any new agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and that the question of Crimea and Donbas is also closed as far as the Kremlin is concerned.

Peskov commented on this claim [about Russia's refusal to discuss the status of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson]: "No, this is not true. This is false."

Background: The Ukrainian authorities more than once declared that they will not make any territorial "concessions" to Russia to the detriment of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including in Crimea and the east of the country.