Kremlin says Russia will not take part in Ukraine-US talks on 21 March

Khrystyna Bondarieva , Anastasia Protz - 20 March, 12:57

Dmitry Peskov and Vladimir Putin. Stock photo: Getty Images

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Russia will not take part in the talks between Ukraine and the United States scheduled for 21 March in the US.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Russian news agency Interfax

Details: Peskov was responding to a question about whether Russia plans to participate in the upcoming negotiations between the US and Ukraine.

"No, this will be a bilateral contact between the Ukrainians and the Americans," the Kremlin spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, he said he hopes that the trilateral format will resume in the near future.

"This pause [in the negotiations on Ukraine – ed.] is temporary. We hope it is temporary. I mean the continuation of the trilateral format. We hope that in the near future we will be able to resume these negotiations," he said.

Peskov added that there is currently no clarity regarding a possible venue for talks in a trilateral format.

Background:

On 19 March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a meeting of the Ukrainian negotiating team on ending the Russo-Ukrainian war will take place in the United States on 21 March.
On the same day, Peskov said the pause in negotiations between Ukraine, the US and Russia is temporary and may end once all sides, primarily the US, align their schedules.
On 13 March, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared for a new round of negotiations on ending the war, but the venue and timing had not yet been agreed because of differing positions between the US and Russia.
Meanwhile, media reports have suggested that US President Donald Trump is losing interest in the peace negotiations on settling Russia's war against Ukraine as he has shifted his focus to Iran.

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