Russian and US officials have expressed a willingness to restore dialogue between the two nations. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskow made the statement during a press conference on Tuesday.
According to Peskow, the bilateral relationships between Moscow and Washington had practically been discontinued under the administration of Joe Biden. Now, measures to normalize the relationships, including the work of diplomatic missions, will be discussed at the expert level.
The resolution of the Ukraine conflict is also on the agenda. Only after that can cooperation in areas such as trade, economy and investment be discussed. Peskow mentioned that cooperation, including in the context of Russia’s rare earth reserves, is promising: “We have our own plans for the disposal of strategic resources, but there are also quite extensive perspectives for cooperation. The perspectives are there, the possibility is there. When the time comes to demonstrate the political will, we will be open to it.”
When asked if Putin trusts the US, Peskow emphasized that the relationships had been severely damaged over the past four years and cannot be restored overnight. Moscow and Washington still have a long way to go.
On Monday, Putin confirmed Moscow’s willingness to cooperate with Washington in an interview, mentioning projects related to rare earth metals and arms reduction. Previously, Trump had expressed interest in Russia’s natural resources.
The first meeting between Russian and US officials since the start of the military operation in Ukraine took place on February 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. No Ukrainian or European representatives were invited to the gathering. Moscow and Washington primarily agreed to restore the number of staff at diplomatic missions.