The Kremlin confirmed Friday that there are no immediate plans for talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, following a visit to Washington by Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev.
“No, there are no plans for the next few days. There is nothing in the schedule for now,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about potential phone conversations between the leaders.
Dmitriev, who spent two days in Washington for meetings, described seeing a “positive dynamic” in US-Russia relations but acknowledged that further meetings would be needed to resolve differences. Bloomberg reported that the US is waiting for Dmitriev to brief Putin on his visit before proceeding with the next steps. When questioned about the results of Dmitriev’s negotiations, Peskov responded: “Let’s wait for his return to Moscow.”
NBC News reported Thursday that Trump’s inner circle is advising against further communication with Putin until the Russian leader commits to a complete ceasefire in Ukraine.
US sets expectations for Russia
Speaking at his first NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Trump would not “fall into the trap of endless negotiations” with Russia. Rubio indicated the US would determine “in a matter of weeks” whether Russia is serious about peace.
“We will not continue this forever. We have a certain time when we will wait. We want to see during this time whether they are ready for peace or not. And the time is coming,” Rubio stated.
While refusing to specify an official deadline for Putin to sign a peace deal, Rubio suggested Trump’s patience was waning and mentioned potential increased sanctions against Russia. “Congress has already started working on a bill on sanctions, and the pressure from the Capitol will already be growing. We will send our message to Moscow, and we hope that Moscow will be ready for peace.”
NATO leaders have called for Putin to be given a deadline to sign a peace agreement, warning that the Russian leader should face consequences if he fails to do so.
Read more:
- “In some form.” Russia is now open to Western security guarantees for Ukraine —that’s never happened before
- Donald the Peacemaker? Ukraine ceasefire tests Trump’s bid for diplomacy redemption
- What is the value of US security pledges? Here’s what history says
- With US in retreat, Europe can easily safeguard Ukraine
