Kremlin signals Russia-US talks on Ukraine not immediate

Kremlin signals Russia-US talks on Ukraine not immediate
Donald Trump has upended US policy swiftly to open talks with Moscow, including a call to President Vladimir Putin. (AFP)
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Updated 04 March 2025

Kremlin signals Russia-US talks on Ukraine not immediate

Kremlin signals Russia-US talks on Ukraine not immediate
  • Donald Trump has upended US policy swiftly to open talks with Moscow
  • Last week, Russia said it was sending a new ambassador to Washington

The Kremlin said in remarks published on Tuesday that the next round of Russia-US talks on ending the war in Ukraine is unlikely to happen before the embassies of both countries resume normal operations.
“Unlikely,” Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of President Vladimir Putin, told RIA state news agency in response to a question whether the negotiations could start before the two countries’ embassies fully reopen. Operations have been curtailed since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump has paused military aid to Ukraine after his clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week, deepening the fissure that has opened between the two allies.
Before Trump began his second term as US president in January, ties between the two nuclear superpowers of Russia and the United States had plummeted to their lowest in decades following Russia’s invasion.
Trump, who has promised a quick end to the war, has upended US policy swiftly to open talks with Moscow, including calls and meetings that have alarmed Washington’s European allies and Kyiv.
At the end of February, Russia and US teams held hours of talks in Turkiye, narrowly focusing on restoring normal functioning of their embassies, and Putin said initial contacts with Trump’s new administration had inspired hope.
Last week, Russia said it was sending a new ambassador to Washington, the latest sign of a thaw between the two countries, but it remains unclear when the full work of both embassies will resume.
Peskov also told RIA that it was too early say where the next round of talks between Russia and the United States might take place.


UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury

UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury
Updated 26 sec ago

UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury

UK police continue investigation into Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury
LONDON: British police said on Tuesday they were continuing to investigate comments made on stage during a performance by duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury music festival in June over derogatory chanting about the Israeli military
Avon and Somerset Police said they had held a voluntary police interview with a man in his mid-30s to help progress their inquiries.
"The matter has been recorded as a public order incident while we continue to investigate and consider all relevant legislation," Avon and Somerset Police said.
The performance by Bob Vylan, a duo whose stage names are Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan, both thought to be in their mid-30s, included on-stage chants of "death, death to the IDF", a reference to the Israel Defense Forces then heavily involved in fighting in Gaza.
The performance was condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Israeli Embassy in London while the BBC was criticised for not stopping its livestreaming of the set.
Bob Vylan are known for mixing grime and punk rock, and their songs tackle a range of issues including racism, homophobia and the class divide.