Kremlin: Putin Willing to Meet Zelenskyy
On Sunday President Trump remarked that emissary Steve Witkoff was likely to travel to Russia this week, presumably at the request of Kremlin officials. Earlier President Trump shortened the deadline for Russia to come to the negotiating table from 50 days to 10-12 days. The preferred timeline by President Trump ends this Friday.
(AP) – Vladimir Putin is open to meeting Volodymyr Zelensky for talks following “preparatory work at the expert level,” the Kremlin has announced, according to the state-owned RT television station.
“I would like to remind you that the president himself does not rule out the possibility of holding such a meeting,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman said. “But only after the necessary work is done at the expert level and the appropriate distance is overcome.”
He said that the “preparatory work” had not yet been done. Putin has previously rejected several attempts by Zelensky to meet for talks over ending the Ukraine war.
Peskov also did not rule out a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Putin later this week, the state run TASS news agency reported.
[…] Witkoff is expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza.
“They would like to see (Witkoff),” Trump said Sunday of the Russians. “They’ve asked that he meet so we’ll see what happens.”
Peskov said Monday: “We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow. “We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful.” (more)
Is this a Putin delay strategy?
U.S. trade talks with India collapsed and simultaneously the Modi government refused to distance themselves from Russia.
BRICS+ represented by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa + Egypt and Iran, seem to be standing firm on the nature of their economic bloc, which -I might add- only got stronger when the Biden sanctions against Russia were put into place.
Even President Trump seemed to indicate Sunday the “sanctions threat” doesn’t really hold a lot of influence when it comes to Russia. A secondary sanctions regime against countries that align to purchase Russian energy products could end up backfiring.
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