Kremlin tight-lipped on ceasefire deal discussions with the U.S. — as Ukraine holds more talks

Kremlin tight-lipped on ceasefire deal discussions with the U.S. — as Ukraine holds more talks


Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a summit of leaders of nations, which are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in Moscow, Russia October 8, 2024. 

Sergei Ilnitsky | Via Reuters

The Kremlin on Tuesday said that it would not disclose the content of ceasefire deal talks with U.S. officials, as Ukrainian diplomats also met their American counterparts for further discussions.

“Those were “technical” talks so the content of these talks won’t be made public for sure. But I again repeat that the results are being assessed by Moscow and Washington and then we can speak of some statements,” Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday, according to comments translated by NBC News.

Peskov added that there were no immediate plans for another call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. The Kremlin official said contacts would continue between the Russian and U.S. diplomats, however.

U.S and Russian officials were expected to release a joint statement on Tuesday after a day of talks between officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, amid ongoing discussions to broker a full 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine after three years of war.

The Monday talks appeared to focus on a maritime ceasefire deal covering the Black Sea — one of the focal points for hostilities during the war, which led to disruption in the shipping of regional agricultural and grain exports that caused turmoil in global supply chains.

Earlier Tuesday, Russian state media quoted a senior Russian official as stating that the discussions — which lasted 12 hours — had been “detailed and complex.”

“[We] discussed everything, and the dialogue was detailed and complex but quite useful for us and for the Americans,” Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, who took part in the negotiations, told Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency.

“We discussed numerous issues,” he added, the agency said. The BBC reported that Moscow was believed to be asking for some Western sanctions to be lifted in order to revive the grain deal, which Russia withdrew from in mid-2023.

Ukraine previously already agreed to a 30-day ceasefire deal during its own talks with U.S. officials and accused Russia of being “manipulative” by delaying a possible truce.

Ukrainian and U.S. delegations also met in Saudi Arabia for talks on Tuesday, but the discussions appeared short-lived and ended on Tuesday morning, according to AFP reporting.

This is the second U.S.-Ukrainian rapprochement over the ceasefire in as many days. On Monday evening, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said officials in Kyiv had once again talked with their American counterparts over a potential agreement.

“Today, we held meetings focused on diplomatic efforts. I spoke with [Ukrainian Minister of Defense] Rustem Umerov. Yesterday there was a meeting with the U.S. team. Today, U.S. representatives spoke with the war team — that is, with representatives of Russia. After that, another meeting took place between the Ukrainian and American teams. I’m expecting a new report soon,” Zelenskyy said on the X social media platform.

Kyiv has stressed that its European allies must be involved in any future peace deal, but Moscow and Washington have expressed skepticism over their participation.

“What we need is movement toward real peace—toward guaranteed security. And this is something we all need — in Ukraine, in Europe, in America, and across the world—everyone who wants stability in international relations,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader has previously repeatedly called for security guarantees as part of permanent peace arrangements.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov (2nd R) attend a meeting between Russia and the United States, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025. 

Russian Defense Ministry | Anadolu | Getty Images

For his part, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin earlier this month said that any ceasefire deal must not allow Ukraine to re-arm, demanding that weapons shipments be halted to Kyiv during any pause in the fighting.



Source

Kremlin tight-lipped on ceasefire deal discussions with the U.S. — as Ukraine holds more talks

Kremlin tight-lipped on ceasefire deal discussions with the U.S. — as Ukraine holds more talks


Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a summit of leaders of nations, which are members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in Moscow, Russia October 8, 2024. 

Sergei Ilnitsky | Via Reuters

The Kremlin on Tuesday said that it would not disclose the content of ceasefire deal talks with U.S. officials, as Ukrainian diplomats also met their American counterparts for further discussions.

“Those were “technical” talks so the content of these talks won’t be made public for sure. But I again repeat that the results are being assessed by Moscow and Washington and then we can speak of some statements,” Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday, according to comments translated by NBC News.

Peskov added that there were no immediate plans for another call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. The Kremlin official said contacts would continue between the Russian and U.S. diplomats, however.

U.S and Russian officials were expected to release a joint statement on Tuesday after a day of talks between officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, amid ongoing discussions to broker a full 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine after three years of war.

The Monday talks appeared to focus on a maritime ceasefire deal covering the Black Sea — one of the focal points for hostilities during the war, which led to disruption in the shipping of regional agricultural and grain exports that caused turmoil in global supply chains.

Earlier Tuesday, Russian state media quoted a senior Russian official as stating that the discussions — which lasted 12 hours — had been “detailed and complex.”

“[We] discussed everything, and the dialogue was detailed and complex but quite useful for us and for the Americans,” Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, who took part in the negotiations, told Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency.

“We discussed numerous issues,” he added, the agency said. The BBC reported that Moscow was believed to be asking for some Western sanctions to be lifted in order to revive the grain deal, which Russia withdrew from in mid-2023.

Ukraine previously already agreed to a 30-day ceasefire deal during its own talks with U.S. officials and accused Russia of being “manipulative” by delaying a possible truce.

Ukrainian and U.S. delegations also met in Saudi Arabia for talks on Tuesday, but the discussions appeared short-lived and ended on Tuesday morning, according to AFP reporting.

This is the second U.S.-Ukrainian rapprochement over the ceasefire in as many days. On Monday evening, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said officials in Kyiv had once again talked with their American counterparts over a potential agreement.

“Today, we held meetings focused on diplomatic efforts. I spoke with [Ukrainian Minister of Defense] Rustem Umerov. Yesterday there was a meeting with the U.S. team. Today, U.S. representatives spoke with the war team — that is, with representatives of Russia. After that, another meeting took place between the Ukrainian and American teams. I’m expecting a new report soon,” Zelenskyy said on the X social media platform.

Kyiv has stressed that its European allies must be involved in any future peace deal, but Moscow and Washington have expressed skepticism over their participation.

“What we need is movement toward real peace—toward guaranteed security. And this is something we all need — in Ukraine, in Europe, in America, and across the world—everyone who wants stability in international relations,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader has previously repeatedly called for security guarantees as part of permanent peace arrangements.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov (2nd R) attend a meeting between Russia and the United States, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 18, 2025. 

Russian Defense Ministry | Anadolu | Getty Images

For his part, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin earlier this month said that any ceasefire deal must not allow Ukraine to re-arm, demanding that weapons shipments be halted to Kyiv during any pause in the fighting.



Source

Claire’s new owner Ames Watson feuds with Asia-based suppliers over millions in unpaid debt
World

Claire’s new owner Ames Watson feuds with Asia-based suppliers over millions in unpaid debt

Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images Tween retailer Claire’s is facing legal challenges from some of its Asia-based suppliers over millions in unpaid debts as it tries to emerge from a second bankruptcy under new ownership, according to claims the suppliers filed in Hong Kong.  The clash with vendors comes as private equity firm […]

Read More
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ snares  million in Thursday previews
World

‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ snares $12 million in Thursday previews

Still from Disney’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Disney Disney and James Cameron’s third Avatar movie, “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” hit theaters Thursday, snapping up $12 million in early preview screenings domestically. The second installment in the film series, “The Way of Water,” had a better start and tallied $5 million more in its Thursday preview […]

Read More
NY Fed President Williams says some ‘technical factors’ distorted November’s CPI reading downward
World

NY Fed President Williams says some ‘technical factors’ distorted November’s CPI reading downward

New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said Friday that “technical factors” likely distorted November’s inflation data, pushing the headline reading lower than it otherwise would have been. “There were some special factors of practical factors that really are related to the fact that they weren’t able to collect date in October and not in […]

Read More