MOSCOW — The Kremlin said on June 9 there are no plans for a telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, while American intermediaries Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner continue contacts with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the mediation effort over Ukraine remains “on hold” after it stalled in February following US and Israeli military action against Iran. He added that US negotiators are still holding discussions with Russian and Ukrainian officials through established channels and that Russia would welcome a visit by them, though no dates have been fixed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 8 described a call with Witkoff and Kushner as “positive,” saying the pair signalled readiness to pursue a settlement in the coming weeks. Peskov replied that Moscow had not been notified by Washington about Zelensky’s reported conversation.
When asked about possible European mediation, Peskov rejected the idea. He said it would be “illogical and wrong” for Europe to set conditions for talks with Russia and accused European actors of prioritising continuation of the conflict over peace negotiations.