The Kremlin on Monday described recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff as “extremely useful.”
Last Friday, Putin and Witkoff met in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, as the US and Russia increased contacts since February this year 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 that these contacts are effective due to the establishment of a “very popular” line for communication between Moscow and Washington, through which he said they exchange positions on numerous issues.
He said this helps the two sides receive information first-hand, reaffirming that immediate results from these contacts should not be expected due to the discussions revolving around “very complex” issues.
He further denied any discussions on preparations for a meeting between Putin and Trump, noting that the US is expected to extend sanctions on Russia.
“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 Thursday, 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, according to a document published by the US Federal Register earlier Monday.