MOSCOW
Russia carefully considered US President Donald Trump’s comments about his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
At a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov commented on Trump’s “disappointment” with his phone conversation remarks, saying that Russia pays close attention to all of his statements.
After speaking with Putin on Thursday, Trump expressed disappointment with the lackluster pace of progress in resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
In response to Trump’s comments, Peskov said Russia will continue its military campaign in Ukraine because achieving all of its goals through political and diplomatic means is currently impossible.
“During the conversation, President Putin repeated that we are interested in achieving our goals during a special military operation, and it is preferable to do this by political and diplomatic means. But while this is not possible, we are continuing our special military operation,” he said.
Additionally, Peskov highlighted that Russia awaits scheduling dates for the next round of negotiations with Ukraine, which Putin communicated to Trump as well.
“The president apprised his American counterpart that we’re awaiting agreement on specific dates for the third round of direct discussions,” he said.
When asked whether a face-to-face meeting between the Russian and US presidents might take place, Peskov asserted that such a gathering is indeed desirable, though extensive preparations are required beforehand.
“This question has been addressed several times previously…this includes President Putin personally. To summarize, a meeting of this nature is deemed necessary because there is mutual interest, readiness exists, and both presidents have publicly declared their readiness. Nonetheless, extensive preparations must precede such an event,” he said.
Finally, commenting on Russia’s official acknowledgment of Taliban government in Afghanistan, Peskov revealed that no immediate plans existed for contact between Putin and the Afghan leadership.
Still, the official recognition will help to enhance dialogue across different tiers of interaction, he said.
“At present, no such plans are being formulated. However, within the context of bilateral ties, intermittent connections will emerge across diverse levels.”
