Kremlin Says President Putin Open to Dialogue

Dmitry Peskov. (Sergey Fadeichev/TASS)

JAKARTA - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "open to dialogue" with US President Donald Trump, although it appeared that an opportunity was missed to make a phone call between the two.

"President Trump seems to be very busy after all the contacts in Ankara, so no one called yesterday," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a press conference, referring to the talks held by the US President during his visit to the Turkish capital, Ankara, where he participated in the 36th NATO Summit, reported Anadolu (10/7).

After a telephone call between the US and Russian leaders over the weekend, the Kremlin said on Monday, President Putin and President Trump understood their contacts would continue "in the near future."

Peskov continued by saying that even though the call did not take place, President Putin "always liked" to speak with Trump and that the two had a "really constructive dialogue, despite certain differences that may exist."

"President Putin is open to dialogue," Peskov added.

Peskov's statement came a day after President Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as other leaders, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

During the meeting, President Trump said President Putin and President Zelensky were both trying to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and that the US was ready to "close the airspace" over Ukraine as part of a security guarantee for Kyiv if it was "necessary."

President Trump said one of the things he would discuss with President Zelensky was licensing Kyiv to produce Patriot missiles, adding: "This way you can't complain that we didn't give them enough."

Commenting on the news, Peskov said Washington continued to supply weapons and military technology to Ukraine and Moscow was aware of this and was not "optimistic."

"However, unlike other countries involved in this conflict, the US remains committed and continues to seek to facilitate the peace process. It is from this point of view that we evaluate all statements," Peskov explained, claiming there was a "certain duality" in the US position on Ukraine.

Peskov denied that President Trump's statements in Ankara showed the US was back on track for increased tensions with Russia, but Moscow saw "certain misunderstandings" in the White House about the possibility of facilitating a settlement in Ukraine through escalation and military pressure.

"The readiness of the United States to "close the airspace" over Ukraine implies NATO activity in the territory of the country," he said, adding that this is the reason why Russia continues to carry out "special military operations," as they call the war.

Peskov also said "further escalation" could prolong the Ukraine war to some extent and would require Russia to create "a larger buffer zone."

"Therefore, increasing tensions and escalation actions will not contribute to the peace process at all," he added.