The Kremlin stated on the 24th (local time) that U.S. President Donald Trump's remark that the Crimea Peninsula is not a subject of discussions for peace negotiations completely aligns with Russia's position.
According to the TASS news agency, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing the same day regarding Trump's remarks, “This completely aligns with our understanding and what we have been saying for a long time.”
Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for stating the day before on social media platform Truth Social that he would not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, pointing out that “the Crimea Peninsula is not even the focus of negotiations.”
Earlier, foreign media reported that the U.S. proposed recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea for a peace agreement.
In response to these reports, Peskov spokesperson refused to confirm, saying, “I cannot and do not wish to comment on the leaked details of the proposed plan.” He added, “We are focusing on continuing the process of agreement and appreciate the U.S. mediation.”
In response to the assertion that the U.S. would halt mediation efforts if there were no progress in the Ukraine ceasefire negotiations, Peskov spokesperson simply stated, “We are concentrating on sustained efforts to achieve peace.”
He emphasized, “President Vladimir Putin believes we must secure our nation's interests to achieve peace.”
Regarding dialogue with the U.S., Sergey Naryshkin, Director General of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), mentioned in an interview with TASS that there is a possibility of meeting with U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe.
Director General Naryshkin said, “I had a telephone conversation with my colleague, the CIA director. It was a very constructive discussion. Therefore, I do not rule out the possibility of a meeting in the near future.”
Director General Naryshkin announced that he also spoke with Director Ratcliffe over the phone on the 12th of last month and agreed to maintain regular contacts to ease tensions between the two countries.