Kremlin: Russia won't budge under sanctions pressure over Ukraine

Westernsanctionswill never makeRussiachange its position onUkraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

Responding to a barrage of WesternsanctionsoverRussia's invasion ofUkraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "They are counting on forcing us to change our position. This is out of the question."

Peskov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the first round of talks betweenRussian and Ukrainian officials on Monday but it was too early to judge the outcome.

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There were no plans for talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he said, adding that Moscow still recognised Zelenskiy asUkraine's leader.

Zelenskiy, he said, could prevent further casualties if he gave the command to lay down arms.

Ukrainehas refused to surrender and its forces have put up strong resistance toRussia's assault from the north, east and south, which Moscow describes as a special operation to demilitarise and "denazify" the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as war propaganda.

Peskov dismissed allegations ofRussian strikes on civilian targets and the use of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs as fakes. He categorically denied thatRussiahad committed war crimes.

Ukrainesayslarge numbers of civilians have been killed. Peskov said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian nationalist groups were using people as human shields.

Peskov declined to comment on whether the Kremlin considers the capital Kyiv to be under the control of Nazis, referring the question to theRussian military.

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