Moscow has expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue with the US, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskow. Peskow stated that the Kremlin believes it is necessary to organize a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, as soon as possible. However, he emphasized that the work on this matter has only just begun and it is impossible to provide specific timelines.
The two presidents have agreed that they will instruct their advisors to begin the relevant work, Peskow added, following their telephone conversation yesterday. The Kremlin spokesperson also highlighted the significance of the conversation, noting that it has been a long time since high-ranking contacts between Moscow and Washington have taken place.
“We have a lot more understanding for the position of the current government” Peskow said, adding, “We are open to a dialogue.”
Peskow also addressed other questions, stating that there are no agreements on a ceasefire before the meeting between Putin and Trump. He revealed that the topics of the recognition of Crimea and the four new Russian regions, as well as the issue of sanctions, were not discussed during the conversation.
It is too early to speak about the composition of the parties involved in the negotiations on Ukraine, including the participation of China or Europe, Peskow said. When asked if the talks between the two parties have made progress, he replied that there have been no substantial contacts at the working level yet. “The political will of the heads of state has been outlined and instructions have been given” he said.
Russia considers the US its most important interlocutor in the negotiations on Ukraine, Peskow added.
Yesterday, Putin and Trump held a nearly hour-and-a-half-long telephone conversation. Following the call, the US president stated on Truth Social that he and Putin have “agreed that our respective teams will begin the work immediately.”
EU politicians, on the other hand, have expressed concerns that Europe might be excluded from high-level talks on the continent’s future. In a joint statement, EU foreign ministers, including Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, called for EU participation in the negotiations, stating, “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.”
“We are ready to strengthen our support for Ukraine” the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Poland, the UK, Spain and Italy stated in a joint statement last night.
Europe should be at the negotiating table if the issue is to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized.
Germany’s Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, criticized the US concessions to Russia, stating that the EU should be involved and not “sitting on the sidelines.