Spokesman Kremlin Dmitry Pieskow on Monday, he assured that although there is “political will” to organize a meeting between Donald Trump and Dmitry Peskov, “no specific preparations for such a meeting are being carried out for now.”
Michael Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, said in an ABC interview on Sunday that the president-elect would soon call Putin in preparation for a meeting to end the war in Ukraine.
During the election campaign, Trump announced that after taking power, he would end the conflict within 24 hours. However, on January 7, the president-elect stated that he would give his administration six months to achieve this goal. In turn, the future US president's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, announced that he would try to find a solution to the conflict within 100 days of Trump's inauguration.
Russia. American sanctions, this is the Kremlin's reaction
In Monday's statements, Peskov said it was the last round American sanctions imposed on Russian energy sector involves risk destabilization of global oil and energy markets. As he emphasized Dimitri Pieskow, Moscow will do everything in its power to minimize this impact.
– It's obvious that United States they will keep trying weaken the position of our businesses in a non-competitive mannerbut we expect that we will be able to counteract it, he emphasized.
American sanctions. The Kremlin thunders: An uncompetitive way
He also said that Moscow will monitor the situation and help its companies adapt to the new circumstances. – We will monitor the consequences (of these actions – ed.) very carefully and try to configure the work of our companies to minimize the consequences of these illegal decisions – he added.
On Friday US Treasury Department put on broader sanctions on Russian oil producersincl Gazprom Next to Surgutnieftiegazand also 183 shipswhich transported Russian oil.
The purpose of this step was reduction in income Russiawhich have a direct impact on financing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Anonymous American officialcited by Reuters, said that sanctions could cost Russia up to billions of dollars a monthif properly followed.
Washington attacks Russia's “shadow fleet”. Peskov announces “alternative solutions”
The sanctions imposed on Russia so far have prompted Chinese and Indian refineries – which previously bought large amounts of crude oil from Russia – to look for alternative ways of purchasing this raw material. Many tankers affected by the recent sanctions (part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet) transported oil to these two countries.
As Peskov admitted, recent experience shows that it is impossible to cut traditional energy supply routes. – You block something in one place and an alternative appears in another place. Therefore, alternative solutions will be sought to carry out work that will minimize the consequences of sanctions, he said.
Peskov also mentioned that the issue safety guarantee – both for Russiaas well as for Ukrainy – would be an integral part of a possible one agreement between the parties to the conflict. As stated by the Russian leader Vladimir Putin “He has repeatedly signaled his readiness for contacts with all countries, including… United States on ending the conflict.”
Source: Reuters