President Vladimir Putin is open to talks on a possible settlement in Ukraine but the refusal of the United States to recognise annexed territories as Russian is hindering a search for any potential compromise, the Kremlin said on Friday. U.S. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he was prepared to speak to Putin if he was looking for a way to end the war but that Putin had not yet indicated that.

“The president of the Russian Federation has always been, is and remains open to negotiations in order to ensure our interests,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Biden’s remarks. “The most preferable way to achieve our interests is through peaceful, diplomatic means,” Peskov said. “Putin was, is and remains open to contacts and negotiations.”