Kremlin: Potential Putin-Trump Discussions Without Preconditions
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Moscow, Jan 10 (NationPress) Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to engage in possible discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump without any prerequisites, as per Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday.
Peskov indicated that there are no specific conditions necessary for upcoming talks, emphasizing that both leaders need to exhibit mutual interest and political determination to address ongoing issues through dialogue.
He affirmed that Putin is receptive to future discussions with Trump, and arrangements for a meeting will commence once Trump assumes office.
"We acknowledge that Trump has also shown his willingness to tackle issues through conversation, which we appreciate," Peskov remarked.
He reiterated that Russia's perspective on Ukraine, as articulated by Putin in July, remains clear and unchanged. Moscow's viewpoint will not shift in any prospective discussions between Putin and Trump, he noted, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
On Thursday, Peskov mentioned that Putin would be open to communication with Trump if Trump's political determination persists post-inauguration.
The Kremlin spokesperson pointed out that there are currently no requests for communication from the US side, but he suggested it would be prudent to wait until Trump takes office.
During a recent press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, President-elect Trump acknowledged awareness of the Russian leader's desire for a meeting, stating that such an encounter would be suitable only after his inauguration.
Trump expressed understanding of the Russian sentiments regarding President Joe Biden allegedly reneging on a "deal" to deny Ukraine NATO membership.
While addressing the reasons behind the conflict, Trump asserted that the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO has been a "significant concern for Russia for many, many years".
"A large part of the issue was Russia long before (Russian President, Vladimir) Putin declared that NATO should never be involved with Ukraine. Now they have made it abundantly clear. At some point, (US President Joe) Biden indicated that Ukraine should be able to join NATO. Consequently, Russia finds itself with a neighbor right on their doorstep, and I can empathize with their perspective on that," Trump remarked to reporters on Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
"There were numerous errors made during that negotiation process. When I observed the manner in which Biden was negotiating, I predicted that it would lead to a war, and indeed it has resulted in a very unfortunate conflict. This war could escalate to a much more severe situation than it currently is," he added in response to a question.
Last month, Trump mentioned his intention to communicate with both President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Russia Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the "carnage" of nearly three years of warfare.
Trump has been vocally critical of the billions of dollars in aid that the Biden administration has allocated to Kyiv to combat Moscow's invasion.
"We will engage in discussions with President Putin, as well as with Zelensky and Ukrainian representatives," Trump stated.
"We must put a stop to it; it’s carnage," he asserted, referring to the ongoing war.
Trump has consistently claimed he could quickly resolve the conflict but has not provided specific strategies on how to achieve this.
