MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have not ruled out the possibility of a future summit.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Peskov indicated that this understanding is based on their recent public remarks.

"Yes, President Trump stated that at present, he has stopped thinking about organizing a summit. However, over the past two days, he repeatedly mentioned that he does not exclude such a summit taking place in the future," he said.

Peskov said that since no specific dates or details have been agreed upon, it would be incorrect to suggest that anything has been sabotaged.

"Neither Trump nor Putin wants to waste time—they don't intend to gather merely for the sake of having a meeting," he said.

The spokesman emphasized that for a leaders' meeting to be productive, preparatory work must first be completed at the ministerial level, specifically "by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio."

When asked about relations with Ukraine, he described the current state of negotiations as a "prolonged pause," attributing it to Kyiv's "unwillingness to intensify the negotiation process."

"This reluctance by Kyiv to accelerate the peace talks" is actively encouraged primarily by Ukraine's "European overseers," he stressed.

Regarding President Putin's warning of a "stunning response" if the US delivered Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, Peskov clarified that Putin was referring to any such strike in general, not a specific weapon.

Concerning the new Western sanctions, he said Russia will respond in accordance with its national interests. "Currently, we're analyzing the announced sanctions. Of course, we'll act in ways that best serve our own interests. That remains the primary focus of our actions," he added.

Echoing a recent statement from President Trump, the Kremlin spokesman agreed to assess the impact of the new sanctions after six months.

"Indeed, we'll wait and see how things develop in six months. We observe what's happening now, recall events from last year and the year before, and hope to understand the situation better in six months, maybe even a year later," he said.

Turning to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's desire to conclude a peace treaty with Russia, Peskov confirmed that Moscow shares this aspiration.

The official added that dialogue has "virtually ceased" due to "unfriendly steps" taken by previous Japanese governments.