Russia says no plan for Putin-Trump talks, possibility remai
Russia says no plan for Putin-Trump talks, possibility remains open
Kremlin on Tuesday said that there are no plans for high-level discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, though plans can change rapidly if necessary.
MOSCOW — The
Kremlin on Tuesday said that there are no plans for high-level discussions
between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump,
though plans can change rapidly if necessary.
"So far, there are no plans for a high-level talk. If
needed, such discussions can be organised promptly," Russia's state-run
news agency TASS quoted Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying
while addressing a media briefing in Moscow.
Last week, Trump and Putin held a telephonic conversation,
highlighting the need for peace and a ceasefire to end the conflict with
Ukraine. Both leaders agreed that the movement to peace would begin with an
energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation
of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire, and permanent peace.
Meanwhile, in an interview with a local broadcaster, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow favours the resumption of the
Black Sea Initiative, though in a format which is more acceptable to all.
He stated that Russia supports the return of the Black Sea
Initiative in some form, better suited to all, adding that this issue was
discussed as a priority during Russia-US talks in Riyadh.
"Our position is simple: we cannot take this man at his
word," Lavrov said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia, he said, would like "the market of grain, and the market of
fertilizers to be predictable".
Moscow, he said, is worried about the food situation in
Africa and other countries of the Global South that have been affected by the
conflict.
The Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal,
allowed the supply of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and ensured the
normalization of exports of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to
global markets.
Moscow alleged that despite agreements, the West redirected
the bulk of Ukrainian grain to its own countries, with the key target of the
deal – to supply grain to countries in need – never being met. Moscow withdrew
from the deal in July 2023.
The US and Russian delegations have kicked off a new round
of talks in Saudi Arabia, eyeing a Ukraine settlement and Black Sea ceasefire
deal before securing a broader agreement.
The meeting held between the Russian and US teams of experts
in the Saudi capital on Monday was complex but useful for the two countries, as
they managed to discuss multiple issues, Russian delegate Grigory Karasin,
Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, who took
part in the negotiations, told TASS.
"We discussed everything, and the dialogue was detailed
and complex but quite useful for us and for the Americans. We discussed
numerous issues," he said.
