The Russian and US leaders will meet when they deem it appropriate, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin. © Sputnik / Vyacheslav Prokofyev Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. He noted, however, that Moscow has not yet received any signals from Washington with regard to potential talks. Peskov made the remarks at a press briefing when asked whether Putin would be ready to fly to Washington for a face-to-face meeting with Trump. “As a rule, this is discussed by the heads of states directly at a time when they consider it appropriate to organize such a meeting,” the spokesman stated, neither confirming nor denying the possibility. “So far, we have not received any signals from the Americans, so we are working according to our own schedule. But the readiness remains,” he said. Peskov added that there have been signals from Washington that Trump is also ready to engage in talks. The Kremlin spokesman was likely referring to the US president’s remarks on Thursday, when he told reporters that he would meet with his Russian counterpart immediately to discuss the Ukraine conflict, adding that “from what I hear, Putin would like to see me.”
Peskov noted, however, that “apparently, a certain amount of time is needed” for Washington to prepare for the meeting. Trump has repeatedly stated that he is seeking a swift end to the Ukraine conflict. Following his inauguration last week, he called on Moscow to strike a deal with Kiev or face new sanctions and tariffs, but maintained that he is “not looking to hurt Russia.” Trump has reportedly given his new Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, 100 days to finalize a settlement between Moscow and Kiev. According to the Kremlin, however, it has so far received no specific proposals from Washington. Moscow has repeatedly said it is willing to engage in talks with both the US and Ukraine, accusing the latter of refusing to resume negotiations. READ MORE: West should push Kiev into talks with Moscow – Putin Putin said last week that Moscow is currently unable to negotiate with Kiev because of Vladimir Zelensky’s prohibition on talks with Russia. He suggested that Kiev’s Western backers should push the Zelensky government to lift the ban so that talks become possible. “I believe that those who provide [Kiev] with money should ultimately [lift the ban on negotiations],” Putin stated in an interview published by Russia 1 journalist Pavel Zarubin on Telegram.
