Kremlin says recent talks between Putin, US envoy ‘extremely useful’

Putin and Witkoff met in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Friday, as the US and Russia continue contacts to revive bilateral ties, as well as to find a settlement for the Ukraine war.

“Such contacts are extremely useful and very effective,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow.

Peskov said the contacts were effective due to the establishment of a “very popular” line for communication between Moscow and Washington.

He said this helps the two sides receive information first-hand, reaffirming that immediate results should not be expected due to the discussions revolving around “very complex” issues.

He denied any discussions on preparations for a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump.

“It would hardly be worth expecting another decision, especially since these are fairly automatic actions.

“We are at the beginning of our path to normalizing relations, to building them up virtually anew, so we did not have any inflated expectations on this account,” Peskov added.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order extending sanctions imposed on Russia in April 2021, during the term of former US President Joe Biden, for another year.

Europe's view on Ukraine

Peskov also commented on Europe's stance on a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, accusing EU countries of being inclined to "further provoke the continuation of the war."

The spokesman went on to single out remarks from incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz a day prior, claiming he supports the idea of further escalating the more than three-year-long conflict.

During a wide-ranging interview with public broadcaster ARD late Sunday, Merz spoke in favor of providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles.

Germany strongly opposed sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine during outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's term, fearing that such action might draw Berlin directly into the conflict.