Kremlin says expert level talks between Russia and US are being prepared

MOSCOW (Reuters): The Kremlin said on Wednesday that preparations were being made for expert-level talks between Russia and the United States to follow up on a high-level meeting last week and an earlier call between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that there was an understanding that Trump and Putin should meet in person after thorough preparation, but said there were no details yet on when and where this would happen.

He said the two leaders could speak again by phone if needed, but there were no current plans for this.

“Contacts are being prepared at the expert level through the ministries of foreign affairs,” Peskov said, without providing any further details.

Trump has expressed a desire to bring about a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible. His rapid moves to repair relations with Moscow, reversing the policy of the previous administration of Joe Biden, have raised fears in Kyiv and among its European allies that they could be sidelined.

Putin this week tempered expectations for a quick deal on Ukraine, saying that US-Russia contacts would initially focus on repairing trust between Moscow and Washington.

Peskov declined to comment on a reported minerals agreement between the US and Ukraine that Trump has said would allow the US taxpayer to recoup money that Washington has provided to Ukraine in the course of the war.

The Kremlin spokesman noted reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would visit Trump on Friday.

“Whether it will be (to sign) the aforementioned agreement or something else, we’ll see. There have been no official statements on this matter yet,” he said.

A source familiar with the contents of the draft agreement told Reuters on Tuesday that it does not specify any US security guarantees or continued flow of weapons, but says that the United States wants Ukraine to be “free, sovereign and secure.”