Several countries have offered to host talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump, Putin aide Yury Ushakov has said.
At a press briefing on Monday, Ushakov was asked if prime ministers Viktor Orban of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia had offered to host a meeting between the two nuclear-armed states.
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“We have received several proposals from different countries,” he told reporters. “I will not name specific countries, in order not to impact any potential developments. But such proposals have been made and are being made.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has claimed that he could quickly mediate a settlement between Russia and Ukraine. He said last week that he was ready to speak to Putin as soon as possible. The Kremlin said on Sunday, however, that there are no specific plans for a meeting.
According to media reports, Trump’s team is considering a freezing of the conflict along the current front line. Both Russia and Ukraine have dismissed the idea as unacceptable. Moscow insists that Kiev must drop its aspirations to join NATO and renounce its claims on Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions that are now part of Russia.
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Peace talks held in Belarus and Türkiye broke down in spring 2022, with both sides accusing the other of making unrealistic demands. Putin later said that Ukrainian negotiators abruptly abandoned the talks after initially agreeing to make Ukraine a neutral country and restrict its army. Senior US State Department official Victoria Nuland said in 2024 that Washington and its allies advised Kiev not to agree to the terms demanded by Moscow.
Switzerland, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia were among the countries that expressed willingness to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, while China, Brazil, and Indonesia have provided roadmaps to end the conflict.
Hungary and Slovakia broke ranks with fellow NATO members, arguing against unconditional support for Ukraine and insisting that the conflict should be resolved through diplomatic means.
Orban and Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict in detail over the phone earlier this month, according to the Kremlin. Fico made a surprise visit to Moscow on Monday, telling reporters after a meeting with Putin that Kiev’s decision not to renew a contract on the transit of natural gas would damage Slovakia’s economy. Slovakia receives Russian gas through Ukrainian territory.