The Kremlin has said that any meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents should be “well prepared”.
“Any contact at a high level or at the highest level should be well prepared to be effective,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov told reporters.
He said the heads of the Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams were “keeping in touch”. He did not specify whether the date of the upcoming talks had been agreed upon. Moscow cannot name a timeframe.
Peskov said that “the Russian side maintains its mindset to settle the Ukrainian conflict mainly by diplomatic means for this we need reciprocity from Ukraine,” Peskov said, noting that Moscow appreciates Trump’s peace initiatives, which he said are “very important and can help settle this complex conflict, which we did not provoke.”
The Kremlin also said Moscow opposes the presence of European troops in Ukraine as part of any agreement to end the war.
Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated the need for a swift end to the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. His administration has emphasised Not supporting Ukraine, but ending the fighting and reaching a peace agreement.
In recent weeks, US officials have claimed progress towards peace, with Trump meeting with both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
US President Trump said he would seek a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine because he “wants it to be over.” To a reporter’s retort that Putin does not want to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (a meeting promoted by Trump) because he considers the Ukrainian president illegitimate, Trump replied, “it doesn’t matter what they say. It’s all nonsense. They’re all just playing to the public.” Trump noted that Zelensky “is not innocent either” of the fact that there is no movement toward peace in sight, and pointed out that sanctions and duties could apply not only to Russia, but also to Ukraine.
Trump said the other day that Russia would face “serious consequences” if the meeting between Zelensky and Putin does not take place. But he did not specify what the consequences for the Russian Federation could be.