Moscow: The Kremlin on Monday described recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff as ‘extremely useful.’ Putin and Witkoff met in the Russian city of St. Petersburg as the US and Russia continue contacts to revive bilateral ties, as well as to find a settlement for the Ukraine war.
According to Anadolu Agency, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow that the contacts were effective due to the establishment of a ‘very popular’ line for communication between Moscow and Washington. He emphasized that this helps the two sides receive information first-hand, but cautioned that immediate results should not be expected due to the discussions revolving around ‘very complex’ issues.
Peskov denied any discussions on preparations for a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump. He noted that it would be unrealistic to expect major decisions as these are fairly automatic actions. Peskov added that the countries are at the beginning of their path to normalizing relations and rebuilding them, so there were no inflated expectations.
The report also mentioned that last week, Trump signed an executive order extending sanctions imposed on Russia in April 2021, during the term of former US President Joe Biden, for another year.
Peskov also commented on Europe’s stance on a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, accusing EU countries of being inclined to provoke the continuation of the war. The spokesman highlighted remarks from incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who supports the idea of further escalating the conflict. Merz spoke in favor of providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles during an interview with public broadcaster ARD, despite Germany’s previous opposition to such actions.