Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold talks with US President Donald Trump but is waiting for “signals” from Washington, the Kremlin said on Friday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals,” from the US. He also dismissed Trump’s claim that the war in Ukraine could be resolved by lowering the price of Russian oil, stating, “This conflict does not depend on oil prices.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the newly inaugurated US President have both expressed willingness to hold talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict.
During a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump suggested that lowering global oil prices could end the war, saying, “If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed this claim, asserting, “This conflict does not depend on oil prices.” He explained that the situation is driven by “threats to Russia’s national security,” “threats to Russians living in Ukraine,” and “the lack of desire and complete refusal of Americans and Europeans to listen to Russia’s concerns.”
When asked about a potential meeting between the two leaders, Peskov declined to provide specifics, remarking that it was “hard to read coffee grounds” to predict the future.
The statement follows comments by Trump on Wednesday, where he warned of possible additional sanctions on Russia if Putin does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. In a post on X, Trump wrote, “I’m not looking to harm Russia. I have great respect for the Russian people and have always maintained a good relationship with President Putin, despite the Radical Left’s ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax. We must also remember that Russia played a crucial role in helping us win World War II, sacrificing nearly 60 million lives. That said, I intend to do Russia and President Putin a significant favor. End this war now—this senseless conflict is only going to worsen.”
Trump added, “If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way—and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL.’ NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!”
The Kremlin also expressed interest in resuming nuclear disarmament talks with Trump’s administration, which had stalled due to tensions over the Ukraine conflict. Peskov said, “We are interested in starting this negotiation process as soon as possible. The ball is in the Americans’ court, who have stopped all substantive contacts.”
