Statement by Kremlin Spokesperson Peskov on Trump’s Visit to Saudi Arabia
At today’s press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on speculation that US President DonaldTrump’s planned visit to Saudi Arabiain April or May is part of a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov said, “These are purely the plans of the American head of state. This plan has no connection with Putin. As of now, Putin has no plans to organise such a visit. There is also no clear information about the date and place of the possible meeting between Putin and Trump.”
Peskov said that contacts with the United States continue at various levels and through various channels, and that there is a possibility that Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President’s Special Representative for economic cooperation and investments with foreign countries, will visit Washington.
Putin Open to Peace Talks
Peskov also raised the issue of Trump’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on Russia if it does not accept the ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, and made the following statement on this issue: “I do not want to comment on this issue, but President Putin is open to peace talks. President Putin attaches importance to the search for a political and diplomatic solution in Ukraine. The announcement that Russia, in agreement with the United States, has agreed to a temporary moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure facilities is the best indication of this. On the other hand, we observe that the Kiev leadership has absolutely no desire to go down this path.”
Russia complies with moratorium, Ukraine violates it
Commenting on the continuation of the non-aggression moratorium despite the Ukrainian army’s attacks on energy facilities in Russia, Peskov said: “Russia continues to comply with this moratorium” and continued his words as follows: “Kiev’s violation of this moratorium, that is, Kiev’s non-compliance with this moratorium, continues. As we have already stated, we bring this situation to the attention of the Americans. You will probably need to contact the State Department for their response. However, so far there has been no reaction to this attitude of the Kiev administration.”
Intensive Preparations for Russia-China Summit
Emphasising that the planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is an extremely important event for Moscow, Peskov said: “The visit and the continuation of high-level contacts between Russia and China is an unconditional priority that does not depend on any external conditions or conjuncture. In this context, our intensive preparatory work continues.”
