Kremlin Spox: US, NATO root cause of everything happening
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the United States and NATO are the cause of everything happening in Ukraine and that if the US desired it can influence Kiev to go for peace talks.
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Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded to the White House's comments holding Russia responsible for the missiles that landed in Poland saying that the United States and NATO are the main reason behind everything happening now.
“The Americans speak in the paradigm 'if something hadn't happened [before], this wouldn't happen [now].' Then it makes sense to rewind. And we will see the root cause of everything - it’s NATO and the United States at the helm,” Peskov stated.
Read more: Biden slams Zelensky's denial of missiles, 'That is not the evidence'
Earlier on Wednesday, the White House released a statement saying that Russia is "ultimately responsible" for the missile landing in Poland, regardless of investigation findings.
“That said, whatever the final conclusions may be, it is clear that the party ultimately responsible for this tragic incident is Russia, which launched a barrage of missiles on Ukraine specifically intended to target civilian infrastructure. Ukraine had — and has — every right to defend itself," Washington said.
Kremlin on Change in Washington's Rhetoric: US Can Make Kiev More Compliant in Talks
When asked about the prospects of peace talks with Kiev now that the US is having a change-of-ton, the spokesperson said that if the United States wanted to, it is capable of pushing Ukraine to be more complaint regarding the negotiations.
"If desired, Washington is able to influence Kiev in terms of greater compliance. If desired, Washington is able to take into account the concerns of our country."
Read more: US, albeit covertly, wants Kiev to show interest in talks with Russia
The United States is nudging Ukraine to seriously consider the idea of entering negotiations with Russia this winter to stop the ongoing conflict as it doubts none of the two parties can achieve all its goals on the battlefield, NBC News reported earlier this month.
In the event that negotiations seem possible, the United States and its allies will want to avoid being noticed as pushing Ukraine into negotiations with Russia, "especially if that involves a formal arrangement that Russian-occupied areas in eastern Ukraine become Russian territory," the report said.
Russia, US Agreed in Ankara to Refrain From Use of Nuclear Weapons - Erdogan
Following the meeting that was held in Ankara between the CIA Director and his Russian counterpart, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that according to Turkey's Chief of Intelligence, Moscow and Washington agreed upon not using nuclear weapons.
Russian counterpart Sergey Naryshkin met with his counterpart CIA Director William Burns in Ankara on Monday for talks on detained US citizens and nuclear risks.
"Let me tell you the following — the information I received from my intelligence chief about whether Russia and the United States will use nuclear weapons here is that at the moment both sides will not make any attempts to use nuclear weapons," Erdogan said to reporters.
Kremlin on Extension of Grain Deal: Russia Received UN Assurances on Export of Its Goods
Peskov commented on the renewed grain deal, stating that Moscow was assured by the UN that "the work will be finalized".
"There are assurances from the UN that the work will be finalized — to ensure the export of Russian food, grain, and fertilizers. We state that this work of the UN has its results," he said, adding that, "there was a joint statement from the US, the UK, and the EU talking about exemptions under the sanctions regime for Russian food and fertilizer exporters. This is an important advance in a positive way, and this work will be finalized in order to fully unlock all direct and indirect problems that stand in the way.".
However, the Russian senior official stressed that there are no talks about extending the grain deal indefinitely now that the initiative had been extended for 120 days recently.
"There was no talk of an indefinite extension," Peskov said to reporters.
On November 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian Defense Ministry was instructed to resume its engagement in the grain deal.
The Russian President further added that Russia will not obstruct the flow of grain from Ukraine to Turkey in the future due to Ankara's neutrality and the capabilities of its grain processing industry.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that resuming the UN-brokered grain deal is a diplomatic achievement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres applauded the agreement of all parties to resume the grain deal and extend it for the 120 allotted days.
Dates for Visit of Chinese Leader to Russia Not Determined Yet - Kremlin
Peskov commented on Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia saying that the dates have not yet been set.
"It's too early to say, there are no set dates. As they are being coordinated through diplomatic channels, we will inform you," he said.
