NOVO-OGARYOVO, August 28 (RIA Novosti) — The leaders of Russia and Ukraine agree that a dialogue is necessary, but it is too early to speak about the format of the future talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
"In general, there is understanding that the dialogue must be continued, but its timeframe and format are yet to be agreed. It’s too early to speak about it," he said.
Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko met in Belarus' capital Minsk on Tuesday, in their first encounter since June. They were accompanied by the Belarusian and Kazakh presidents and several representatives of the European Union.
The multilateral meeting was dedicated to the discussion of acute issues, such as the crisis in Ukraine, the humanitarian situation in the east of the country, the possibility of talks between the Ukrainian government and the country’s eastern regions, as well as Ukraine’s association agreement with the European Union.
Putin and Poroshenko stressed the importance of international efforts on the de-escalation of the Ukrainian conflict, including the involvement of the contact group, which is expected to resume its work in the near future.
On the eve of the meeting, however, Kiev accused Russia sending a column of tanks across the border onto its territory. Russia dismissed the information as a rumor.
In recent months, Moscow has urged the Ukrainian parties to start a peaceful dialogue, provided help to the troubled Ukrainian regions, and begun hosting Ukrainian refugees.
The West continues to say Russia is meddling in Ukrainian internal affairs, a claim that Moscow has repeatedly rejected.
