MOSCOW
Following the second round of talks between Russian and US diplomats, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia seeks to engage in mutually respectful and beneficial dialogue with all nations.
On Thursday, Russian and US diplomats met in Istanbul to discuss normalizing relations in a meeting that lasted six and a half hours.
When asked at a press briefing in Moscow about the changing relationship with the US, Peskov said: “Not only with America, but with all countries, we want to build a dialogue based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.”
He declined to provide further comments on the discussions.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called the talks “substantive and businesslike” on Friday, adding that the resumption of direct flights between Russia and the US was discussed and that dialogue will continue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the talks “inspired certain hope.”
Contacts between Moscow and Washington have intensified following a phone conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump on Feb. 12.
The first high-level talks took place in Riyadh on Feb. 18, with both sides stating that the discussions primarily focused on normalizing diplomatic relations and the operations of their embassies. However, the Ukraine war was also discussed.
In the second round of talks, Ukraine was not on the agenda.
On Friday, Trump is scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where they are expected to sign an agreement on Ukraine’s rare earth metals.
“Let’s wait for the results of today’s discussions and the statements that will follow,” said Peskov, when asked about Trump’s comments leading up to the meeting.
He also commented on remarks by Sweden’s military intelligence chief, who advocated for strengthening Sweden’s defense and preparing its armed forces for a potential conflict with Russia.
The Russian military is “very carefully” monitoring Sweden’s activities within NATO and is “taking appropriate measures,” he said.
