Kremlin calls recent talks between Putin and US envoy 'extremely useful'

The Kremlin on Monday described recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff as “extremely useful.”

The discussions took place in St. Petersburg on Friday as the U.S. and Russia continue their efforts to revive bilateral ties and find a resolution to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the talks were effective, largely due to the establishment of a "very popular" communication line between Moscow and Washington, which allows for direct and timely information exchange. Peskov emphasized, however, that immediate results should not be expected, as the discussions involved “very complex” issues.

Peskov also denied reports suggesting that preparations were underway for a potential meeting between President Putin and U.S. 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,” he added.

In a broader context, Peskov also commented on Europe’s stance regarding the Ukraine conflict. He accused European Union countries of being inclined to "further provoke the continuation of the war." Peskov specifically singled out remarks made by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who expressed support for providing Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles. This stance is a significant shift from the opposition to such a move during the tenure of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had feared that sending such missiles could escalate Germany's involvement in the conflict.

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