Contacts with Kiev to continue despite possible provocations - Kremlin

ST. PETERSBURG. June 20 (Interfax) - The Kremlin does not rule out Ukraine's provocations ahead of the new round of negotiations in Istanbul, but the dialogue must still go on, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The contacts will continue," Peskov told the press.

"Are provocations by the Kiev regime possible? Yes, they are possible. The Kiev regime is quite unpredictable," he said.

The date of the third round of negotiations is due to be approved next week, Peskov said.

"Everything is expected to be agreed upon next week and we will presumably learn the date of the next round. Despite the complete unpredictability of the Kiev regime, our Foreign Ministry has said that the dialogue at the expert level would be necessary anyway. The president shared that opinion, so the dialogue went on," he said.

Head of the Russian delegation to the negotiations with Ukraine Vladimir Medinsky stays in contact with his Ukrainian counterpart and has briefed Putin on his contacts earlier this week, Peskov said.

The results of the previous rounds are important, as many captured Russians have come home, he said.

"The results of the previous rounds are important. We have repeatedly said so," Peskov said.

"Lots of our guys have had a chance to return home from captivity. The exchange of bodies is also very important from the humanitarian angle. Yes, the proportions are quite indicative. You know what I mean," he said.

The special military operation will continue until every objective is reached, Peskov said.

"We will keep working to achieve the goals that we set for the special military operation. As the president has said, it would be ideal for us to achieve the objectives by political and diplomatic means. Until that works, we will continue the special military operation. The main thing for us is to achieve our goals," Peskov said.