The United States’ claims that negotiations over the Ukraine war are progressing have been handled by the Kremlin have a ambiguous response.
A Kremlin spokesman on Monday refused to confirm or refute a claim made over the weekend by US President Donald Trump that he had spoken with Vladimir Putin.
Trump has vowed to put an end to the hostilities that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine three years ago.
The US president’s envoy announced a peace plan to the media on Monday. However, a senior Russian official said that while Moscow remains open for potential talks, a settlement would have to meet Putin’s demands.
‘ I’ve had it ‘
Trump made an explicit claim to have spoken with Putin when he spoke to reporters on Sunday.
Since the Ukrainian invasion, Washington has not acknowledged any discussions between the US and Russian presidents.
However, when asked if he had had a conversation with Putin, Trump said: “I’ve had it. Let’s just say I’ve had it … And I expect to have many more conversations”.
I can’t confirm or refute the suggestion that a phone call had occurred, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Trump also stated over the weekend that he thought the US was moving forward with its effort to end the war, but he chose not to provide specifics.
“If we are talking, I don’t want to tell you about the conversations”, Trump said. “I do believe we’re making progress. We want to stop the Ukraine-Russia war”, he said, adding that Washington is also in touch with Ukraine on the matter.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to put an end to the war before starting his presidential campaign.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, stated to the news website Semafor on Monday that he and his team are working with allies and NATO officials to create a peace plan.
Russia reiterates conditions
There is concern in Ukraine and Europe that Trump may try to force Ukraine to make concessions in exchange for a quick resolution to the conflict.
Russia, meanwhile, has continued to react by reiterating that it will not bend.
Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister of Moscow, made the announcement on Monday that while Russia is open to dialogue, there are still no agreements between Washington and Moscow, according to Reuters.
The official, who oversees relations with the US and arms control, said all of Putin’s conditions must be met before any settlement in Ukraine is possible.
Putin stated earlier this year that Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw its forces from the four eastern Ukrainian provinces that are largely under Russian rule.
Source: Aljazeera
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