Russia believes it could already be working with the United States on mutually beneficial economic projects, the Kremlin said Thursday, calling it unfortunate that Washington was linking progress on such initiatives to a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
“Regretfully, as before, the Americans link this entire process, despite the obvious benefit, to the Ukrainian settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily briefing.
“They say that first comes the settlement, and only then the implementation of projects. We believe we don’t have to wait, we could work for our mutual benefit right now,” Peskov said.
His comments follow a visit to Washington by President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev on Monday.
A U.S. official said Dmitriev held “constructive” talks on ending the war in Ukraine and possible U.S.-Russia energy initiatives in the postwar period. Reuters reported that Dmitriev met with representatives of the U.S. Treasury and Energy departments.
Peskov said Dmitriev had briefed Putin on the outcome of his contacts with U.S. officials, adding that dialogue between Moscow and Washington was continuing.
Earlier in September, the Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump urged Putin in a call to end the war in order to open up “impressive and large-scale” U.S.-Russian trade prospects. Putin was said to have responded with an “objective and thorough analysis” of the battlefield situation and his views about achieving the war’s objectives.
Putin continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the unoccupied parts of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region as a condition for peace, a stance rejected by Kyiv.
Dmitriev told Reuters in June that he had remained in contact with U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a pause in their visits to Russia. He took part in all the negotiators’ meetings with Putin, including those held in early September.
On Wednesday, Peskov dismissed press reports that the Kremlin was discussing the release of political prisoners in exchange for easing U.S. sanctions.
Reuters contributed reporting.
