Russia can't stop war, even if Ukraine drops NATO hopes: Putin ally

A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (Aug 26) that Moscow would not stop its military campaign in Ukraine even if Kyiv formally renounced its aspirations to join NATO.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, also said in a French television interview that Russia was prepared to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subject to certain conditions.

Even before the February invasion, Moscow made clear Ukrainian membership of NATO was unacceptable to it.

"Renouncing its participation in the North Atlantic alliance is now vital, but it is already insufficient in order to establish peace," Medvedev told LCI television in quotes reported by Russian news agencies.

Russia, he said, would continue the campaign until its goals had been achieved. Putin says he wants to "denazify" Ukraine. Kyiv and the West say this is a baseless pretext for a war of conquest.

Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of talks after the invasion began, but they made no progress and there are few prospects for a resumption.

"This (talks) will depend on how events unfold. We were ready before to meet (Zelenskiy)," Medvedev said.

In his comments, he also said US weapons already supplied to Ukraine - like HIMARS multiple-rocket launchers - did not yet pose a substantial threat.

But that could change, he said, if US-sent weapons could hit targets at longer distances.

"It means that when this sort of missile flies 70km, that is one thing," he said. "But when it's 300km - 400km, that is another, now that would be a threat directly to the territory of the Russian Federation."