Putin Tells Trump Kyiv Undermined Prospects for Immediate Ukraine Peace Talks

Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump on Friday that Kyiv had undermined the prospects of an immediate resumption of trilateral peace talks on Ukraine by launching drone attacks on Moscow during last month’s elections, the Kremlin said.

Trump has so far been unsuccessful in brokering a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the war had reached a dangerous stalemate and that Washington would continue working towards a settlement to end the conflict.

According to the Kremlin, Putin said Moscow had been ready to resume negotiations with Kyiv following last month’s Russian parliamentary elections. However, he alleged that Ukraine had launched attacks on Moscow and struck polling stations, putting the peace process at risk.

"By launching a massive drone attack on Moscow, other cities and polling stations, as well as on specific individuals involved in organising the election, on the main ‌voting ⁠day, the Kyiv regime effectively disrupted the possibility of an immediate resumption of the negotiation process," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said about the call with Trump.

"And now, as the president said, we will consider when those negotiations can be resumed," he ⁠added, referring to trilateral negotiations involving the US, Russia and Ukraine.

Ushakov also said Putin and Trump discussed major economic initiatives during the phone call, including potential supplies of Russian ⁠fuel.

Trump said earlier on Friday after the call with Putin that Russia had agreed to immediately supply diesel to US and global markets in an effort ⁠to lower fuel prices ahead of the US midterm elections next month, although analysts said the amounts would likely not reduce prices greatly.

Source: Reuters



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