Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In remarks published, the press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the next round of Russia-U.S. talks on concluding the fighting in Ukraine is unlikely to happen before the embassies of both nations resume normal operations.
“Unlikely,” Dmitry Peskov briefed RIA state news agency in answer to a question whether the negotiations could begin before the two countries’ embassies fully reopen. Functions have been shut off since Russia raided Ukraine in 2022. He also told RIA that it was too early to say where the next round of discussions between Russia and the United States might take place.
Before Trump started his second term as U.S. president in January, relations between the two nuclear superpowers of Russia and the United States had plunged to their lowest in decades following Russia’s attack.
How did Trump’s second term shift U.S.-Russia ties?
At the end of February, Russia and U.S. diplomats carried out hours of talks in Turkey, narrowly concentrating on restoring normal functioning of their embassies. Putin said initial communications with Trump’s new government had inspired hope. Last week, Russia stated it was sending a new ambassador to the US.
Two weeks earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said that it had agreed to hold more discussions with Russia on finishing the war in Ukraine after an initial session that excluded Kyiv, a departure from Washington’s previous policy that rallied U.S. allies to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As the gathering in the Saudi capital was underway, Russia toughened its demands, notably demanding it would not tolerate the NATO coalition granting membership to Ukraine.
Later on, Trump stated he was more confident after the conversations and he would probably meet with Putin.
“Russia wants to do something,”
Trump briefed journalists in Palm Beach, Florida.
“I think I have the power to end this war,”
Said Trump.
The discussions in Riyadh were the first time U.S. and Russian officials met to examine ways to terminate the deadliest confrontation in Europe since World War Two.
