Kremlin says negotiations with Ukraine ‘paused’
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the negotiation process between Moscow and Kyiv mediated by Washington is currently paused.
He made the statement on Thursday, Ukrinform reports, citing the BBC Russian service.
“The trilateral group is on pause,” Peskov said.
When asked how long the pause in the negotiations might last, the Kremlin spokesperson replied that it depends on the schedules of the American side.
“This is a situational pause for understandable reasons. As soon as there is an opportunity, as soon as the schedules of all three parties are aligned – primarily those of our American mediators, when they can devote more attention to Ukrainian matters – we hope that this pause will be broken and we will be able to hold another round of trilateral talks,” he said.
At the same time, according to Peskov, work within the bilateral Russian-American working group focused on economic issues is ongoing.
He also noted that Russia will continue contacts with Ukraine on issues related to the exchange of prisoners and the bodies of fallen servicemen.
“Work in this direction will certainly continue,” he said.
As reported by Ukrinform, previous trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia took place in Geneva on February 17-18.
On March 9, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that due to developments in the Middle East, new trilateral talks between delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, which had been scheduled for early March, were postponed at the initiative of the American side.
On March 11, U.S. President’s Envoy Steve Witkoff said he already sees signs of a turning point in negotiations to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, as the parties are “exhausted.”
According to Zelensky, a planned trilateral meeting in the United States remains uncertain because the Russian delegation is “not ready to fly to America.”
Peskov had previously stated that Moscow does not see any loss of interest from U.S. President Donald Trump in negotiations on peace in Ukraine.
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