MOSCOW

A Kremlin spokesman on Thursday dismissed media reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week discussed Ankara returning its S-400 air defense systems to Moscow.

"That topic was not on the agenda," Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow, referring to Putin and Erdogan's talks on the sidelines of an international meeting last week in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

In 2017, Türkiye purchased four S-400 air defense systems from Russia for $2.5 billion. The US claimed the Russian system was a security risk, but Türkiye maintained that the S-400 would pose no threat to NATO or its armaments because it would not be integrated into the alliance's systems. Ankara also repeatedly proposed setting up a commission to resolve the issue. When Türkiye refused, the US removed it from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move Türkiye has called unlawful.

Asked about efforts to end the war in Ukraine, Peskov said Russia is preparing contacts with the US side following Washington's work with Kyiv and Brussels.

He added: "We are indeed preparing for certain contacts with our American counterparts to obtain information about the results of the work done by Americans with Europeans and Ukrainians.”

According to media reports, US negotiators Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet this weekend with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev in Miami, Florida.

‘Venezuela is our ally’

Turning to Venezuela, amid a US military naval blockade and growing tensions, Peskov said Caracas is an ally and partner of Russia.

"Venezuela is our ally, our partner; we maintain constant contacts, including contacts at the highest level," he noted, adding that Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recently spoke on the telephone.

"We see an escalation of tensions in the (Latin American) region; we consider it potentially very dangerous," Peskov stressed.

The statement follows President Donald Trump saying the US may soon begin strikes on Venezuelan soil as part of what he called Washington's fight against narcotics trafficking.

Maduro has said Trump is interested in regime change in Venezuela, not fighting drug trafficking.

Venezuelan has requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting in connection with what it calls "open and criminal aggression" from Washington, as it threatens to seize the republic's oil resources.