Ensure Ukraine's Response To The Kursk Attack, Kremlin: No Negotiations

Dmitry Peskov. (Wikimedia Commons/men's

JAKARTA - The Kremlin on Monday confirmed Russia would respond to Ukraine's attacks on the Kursk region, assessing the idea of ceasefire talks is no longer relevant.

Thousands of Ukrainian troops broke through Russia's borders on August 6 in a surprise attack that Russian President Vladimir Putin said was aimed at improving Kyiv's negotiating position ahead of possible talks, as well as slowing Russian troops forward along the front lines.

"Such hostile actions cannot be left without a proper response," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"There will definitely be a response," he said.

President Putin has said Ukraine will receive a "decent response", but has not yet made clear to the public what the response would be.

On the same occasion, Peskov dismissed media reports that there had been some kind of ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

"There are no negotiations," said Peskov.

"There have been many reports of various contacts in the media and not all of them are true," he said.

"The current negotiation topic has lost its relevance," Peskov stressed.

Last week, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow would not hold negotiations until Ukraine was defeated, following an attack on Kursk.

"Everything went smoothly after neo-Nazi carried out this act of terrorism against the Kursk Region. Vacant talks about extraordinary peace by unauthorized mediators have ended. Now, everyone understands - although no one has said it publicly - there will be no negotiations until the enemy is completely defeated," wrote the former Russian President on Telegram, quoted by TASS.

"In my view, the risk - although theoretically - our country stuck in negotiations at some point, is already clearly visible," Medvedev said, adding he spoke of "prematurous and unnecessary peace negotiations proposed by the international community, imposed on the Kiev regime."

He also questioned the prospect of the negotiations, or what results it could produce.

Moscow said the Ukrainian attack on Kursk would not have occurred without any help from the West. Meanwhile, the West said Kyiv did not notify or coordinate about the attack.