‘Only trust primary sources’ on US-Russia talks – Kremlin
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned about fake news and urged people to consult primary sources regarding any developments in Moscow's talks with the US on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
In an interview with RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Peskov was asked to comment on a recent report from the Financial Times claiming that Moscow is ready to freeze the conflict along the current front lines.
“A lot of fakes are being published now, including by respected publications, so you should only listen to the primary sources,” he said.
According to the FT article from Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to freeze the conflict during his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this month in St. Petersburg.
Russian presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov confirmed on Tuesday that Moscow is expecting another visit from Witkoff later this week. This will be the diplomat’s fourth visit to Russia since the start of the US diplomatic push regarding the Ukraine conflict.
US President Donald Trump has touted a big reveal of his plan to wrap up the hostilities in Ukraine.
“I will be giving you a full detail over the next three days,” he told journalists on Monday, adding that the US has “had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia.”
The Kremlin stated that while work is underway, the peace process is unlikely to conclude soon.
“This topic is so complex that it probably shouldn’t be constrained by strict timeframes,” Peskov told the press on Tuesday.
Trump and his administration have signaled growing dissatisfaction with the pace of the peace talks.
“If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters last Friday.
Throughout the conflict, Moscow has said it is open to talks with Kiev. Negotiations must be based on the realities on the ground and address the root causes, such as Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO. The Kremlin previously stated that it would not accept a temporary halt in the hostilities, saying this would simply allow Ukraine’s Western backers to rearm its military.
