Kremlin says next round of Russia-Ukraine-US talks may take place in Istanbul

MOSCOW

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that the next round of Russia-Ukraine-US talks may take place in Istanbul.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said all participants in the negotiations on Ukraine have a positive attitude towards Istanbul as a negotiation platform, so consultations could continue in the Turkish city.

"Of course, the Istanbul option exists, and all parties have a very positive attitude towards it," he noted.

Peskov also thanked the leadership of the UAE for their assistance in organizing previous rounds of talks and for the atmosphere created. However, the Middle East crisis is preventing the continuation of negotiations on this platform.

"Of course, everyone highly appreciates the atmosphere that the Emirati authorities created for these trilateral negotiations, and everyone remains grateful to the leadership of the United Arab Emirates for their assistance in organizing the negotiation process," he said.

He added: "Circumstances at the moment, unfortunately, do not allow us to consider the Abu Dhabi option."

The negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement that took place in Abu Dhabi will be continued in the future. However, there is currently no specific information regarding the place and date of their holding, he said.

"At the moment, there is no precise detail on the continuation and the next round of negotiations. As soon as accurate information appears, we will inform you. In general, there is an understanding that the negotiation process will be continued," he said.

Commenting on Ukraine's strike using Storm Shadow missiles on the city of Bryansk, which resulted in six deaths and 42 injuries, Peskov said it was impossible without the participation of British specialists.

Turning to the US-Israeli-Iranian conflict, Peskov said Russia is ready to contribute to the cause of restoring peace in the Middle East.

"We are in constant contact with the Iranian side and the country's leadership," he noted.

Over the past seven days, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken twice by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian -- on March 6 and 10. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on March 10.

Commenting on media reports of Iran's alleged three demands to the US, including guarantees against war, full nuclear fuel cycle rights, and compensation, Peskov stated that Putin and Pezeshkian did not discuss them and advised caution regarding their reliability.

"In our time, it is difficult to talk about the degree of reliability of this information, whether it is some truthful information or an information dump. A certain degree of doubt should always be present here," he said.