Putin 'open to any contacts' aimed at solving Ukraine crisis: Kremlin

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to "any contacts" to discuss a solution to the Ukraine conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"President Putin has been, is and remains open to any contacts in order to discuss possible solutions to the Ukrainian problem," Peskov told reporters at a press briefing in St. Petersburg.

The spokesman said by "Ukrainian problem," Russia means security threats along its borders and NATO's support to Kyiv.

"This problem can be solved in different ways, so any possible ideas, sets of ideas that are aimed at resolving this problem and ending this conflict, they are supported by Putin. He is having these conversations and welcomes upcoming contacts with African leaders," he said.

Last year in February, Putin started a "special military operation" in Ukraine aimed at "ending the civil war that started in 2014," meaning military confrontation between authorities in Kyiv that came to power after the Maidan protests in 2014 and pro-Russian population of Donbas.

Yury Ushakov, adviser to Putin on foreign policy, on Wednesday said the Russian leader plans to meet top African officials to discuss their initiative of the Ukrainian settlement.

As for the Russian-African relations in general, they have been developing "dynamically," and are expected to continue to pick up the pace, Peskov said.

Russia has been developing ties in Africa for decades and plans to hold an Africa-Russia summit in St. Petersburg next month.

To a question about the state of the Russian economy, Peskov said: "To put it mildly, we feel good compared to other countries, including the collective West, in the pre-crisis global situation."

According to his assessment, economic outlook figures of Western countries are not positive.