Kremlin ready for 'mutually respectful' Trump talks

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said Thursday it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump's latest remarks on the Ukraine conflict, but that Moscow was ready for "mutually respectful" dialogue with him. The new US leader on Wednesday threatened fresh sanctions on Moscow if it did not strike a deal to end its nearly three-year offensive on Ukraine.

"We do not see any particularly new elements," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, asked about Trump's comments.

Peskov said it was clear from Trump's first presidency that he "liked" sanctions and that Moscow was "closely following" his statements.


"We remain1 ready for dialogue, for equal, mutually respectful dialogue," Peskov said.

Expectations are high that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will soon hold a phone call on the conflict in the coming days.

Russia's troops have been advancing on the battlefield in recent months, while both Moscow and Kyiv have increased their aerial attacks deep behind the frontlines.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Wednesday told Putin to make a deal "now" and threatened "high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions."

The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the barrage of Western sanctions that it has been hit with since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian economy has largely defied Western hopes the restrictions would push it into economic collapse.