Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterates any high-level encounter must be well-prepared
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy if proper preparations are made beforehand.
"I would remind you of President Putin's stance. He doesn't exclude the possibility of holding such a meeting, but believes that any high-level encounter must be well-prepared so that preliminary work done by experts could be finalized there," Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.
Russia sees no progress in Ukraine-related talks, yet maintains interest and readiness for negotiations, he added.
"It can't be said that expert discussions are flourishing. Unfortunately, that's not the case. But we remain interested and ready for such negotiations," he said.
Peskov emphasized that Moscow formally conveyed to the Ukrainian side its "request-based position," requiring further discussion.
Details of the conversation between Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump held in Alaska remain deliberately undisclosed for the sake of settlement efforts, he said.
"We consciously refrain from disclosing details of the Alaskan meeting between the two presidents. The topic of Ukrainian conflict resolution was extensively discussed, but we deem it inappropriate to disclose any details. For effective settlement, it's crucial to proceed discreetly," explained Peskov.
He affirmed that the meeting proved beneficial, recalling Putin's words that "it was timely, substantive, and very constructive."
On Aug. 15, Putin met Trump at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska. Discussions lasted approximately three hours, focusing primarily on ending the Ukraine conflict.
Trump described the summit as "extremely productive," and later announced arrangements for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, followed by a trilateral involving him as well.
Asked about Putin's visit to China, Peskov said it will start on Sunday. First, the Russian leader will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, followed by celebrations in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan, he added.
Numerous bilateral meetings are scheduled during the visit, he said.
"Regarding our relations with China, they are characterized by special privileged strategic partnership, and we value these ties greatly. It's hard to overestimate the scope of these relationships," he said.
Both Moscow and Beijing agree that the potential of their bilateral cooperation remains largely untapped, he stressed, adding: "We share the view that the potential of our partnership is far from being fully realized."
