Moscow, Sep 7 (IANS) Russia does not rule out the possibility of resuming trilateral negotiations on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
“As for the resumption of the trilateral format, you heard the statements from Kyiv yesterday. Mr. Kushner made such statements. We also do not rule out the resumption of this trilateral format,” Peskov said during an official briefing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin on Saturday, with the meeting lasting more than three hours. Witkoff and Kushner then met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday.
Peskov described the meeting between Putin and the US envoys as a small step toward peace. “Of course, any attempts are more or less effective — this is one small step towards peace,” he said, Xinhua news agency reported. Peskov did not rule out another conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump following the US envoys’ trip to Kyiv, saying Russia highly appreciates the peacemaking efforts.
Delegations from Ukraine, the United States and Russia previously held two rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 and February 4-5, followed by another round in Geneva on February 17-18, in an effort to find a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The trilateral negotiations subsequently stalled and have remained suspended.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital will impose restrictions on mass events starting Thursday amid the current worsening security situation, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Monday.
All entertainment, physical education and sports activities will be temporarily banned in open areas and buildings without shelters, Klitschko said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, the Kyiv City State Administration said the city was building up reserves of food and drinking water in case of prolonged power outages and other emergencies.
–IANS
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