Moscow: The Kremlin on Thursday declined to comment on a reported visit by French President Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic adviser to Moscow, as reported by French media. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is aware that the Elysee Palace neither confirmed nor denied the reports concerning the visit. "So, out of a sense of solidarity, we will not confirm or deny it either," he said. According to Anadolu Agency, French weekly news magazine L'Express reported on Wednesday that Emmanuel Bonne, who has been Macron's adviser since 2019, traveled to Moscow on Tuesday and met Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. Bonne's visit coincides with ongoing trilateral talks between Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the ongoing war, which is set to enter its fifth year later this month. Macron has been advocating for the reopening of diplomatic channels with Moscow, as Europe has had a limited role in the peace negotiations. Macron mentioned on Tuesday that preparatory wor k was underway to restart direct discussions between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders had previously met in Moscow in 2022, just days before the start of the Ukraine war. In December, Macron expressed at an EU summit in Brussels that he believes it will become necessary to engage in dialogue with Putin again. "I think that we, Europeans and Ukrainians, have a vested interest in finding a framework to properly re-engage in this discussion. Otherwise, we'll be talking amongst ourselves with negotiators who will then deal with the Russians alone. That's not ideal," Macron said. Regarding the expiration of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the US, Peskov expressed regret over the development and noted that Moscow had proposed maintaining the treaty's ceilings for another year, which went unanswered. Despite the expiration, Russia intends to maintain a responsible approach to strategic stability in nuclear weapons, guided by national interest. The treaty i s set to expire at midnight on Thursday. Peskov also mentioned that the expiration of New START was discussed between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a videoconference meeting on Wednesday. The expiration was noted for its negative consequences on international nuclear arms control and strategic stability. New START, which was signed in April 2010 and entered into force on Feb. 5, 2011, was the last remaining legally binding agreement limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear forces. Earlier on Thursday, Beijing expressed regret over the treaty's expiration and urged the US to actively engage with Russia to preserve global strategic stability.