Moscow: The Kremlin on Tuesday said that there are no plans for high-level discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, though plans can change rapidly if necessary.
“So far, there are no plans for a high-level talk. If needed, such discussions can be organised promptly,” Russia’s state-run news agency TASS quoted Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying while addressing a media briefing in Moscow.
Last week, Trump and Putin held a telephonic conversation, highlighting the need for peace and a ceasefire to end the conflict with Ukraine. Both leaders agreed that the movement to peace would begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire, and permanent peace.
Meanwhile, in an interview with a local broadcaster, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow favours the resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, though in a format which is more acceptable to all.
He stated that Russia supports the return of the Black Sea Initiative in some form, better suited to all, adding that this issue was discussed as a priority during Russia-US talks in Riyadh.
“Our position is simple: we cannot take this man at his word,” Lavrov said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia, he said, would like “the market of grain, and the market of fertilizers to be predictable”.
Moscow, he said, is worried about the food situation in Africa and other countries of the Global South that have been affected by the conflict.
The Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal, allowed the supply of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and ensured the normalization of exports of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets.
Moscow alleged that despite agreements, the West redirected the bulk of Ukrainian grain to its own countries, with the key target of the deal – to supply grain to countries in need – never being met. Moscow withdrew from the deal in July 2023.
The US and Russian delegations have kicked off a new round of talks in Saudi Arabia, eyeing a Ukraine settlement and Black Sea ceasefire deal before securing a broader agreement.
The meeting held between the Russian and US teams of experts in the Saudi capital on Monday was complex but useful for the two countries, as they managed to discuss multiple issues, Russian delegate Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, who took part in the negotiations, told TASS.
“We discussed everything, and the dialogue was detailed and complex but quite useful for us and for the Americans. We discussed numerous issues,” he said.
(IANS)
