Kremlin says it does not rule out restart of peace talks with Ukraine and US

MOSCOW, Sept 7 (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that it did not rule out the resumption of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States, but said it was too early to say when and where such talks might take place.  

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments when asked about a weekend visit to Moscow and Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner who are trying to breathe new life into stalled talks designed to find a way to end the war in Ukraine. 

“As for the resumption of the trilateral format, you heard the statement from Kyiv yesterday. Mr Kushner made such statements. We, too, do not rule out the resumption of this trilateral format, but it is still too early to speak of the venue and exact dates,” Peskov told reporters when asked if three-way peace talks would resume. 

Peskov, who declined to discuss in detail the content of the latest U.S. peace proposals or what the hardest outstanding issues to solve are, said the Kremlin did not rule out a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the U.S. envoys’ trip. 

“Undoubtedly, any attempts…represent a small step towards peace, and we truly hold the peace-building efforts of the American negotiators in very high regard,” Peskov told reporters. “President Putin himself has said that he holds President Trump’s efforts in high regard, and that he is grateful to President Trump for his commitment to this path towards peace.”

Moscow had not yet received any information about contacts between the U.S. envoys and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday, Peskov said.

(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov Writing by Maxim RodionovEditing by Andrew Osborn )