Ankara: The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that there are no plans for discussions between Moscow and US representatives this week, as the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain at a standstill. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the absence of any scheduled meetings during a press briefing.
According to Anadolu Agency, speculation had arisen in early August about a potential visit by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, to Moscow. The visit was anticipated to occur within a week to 10 days, aiming to rejuvenate the stalled Ukraine peace talks. Both Moscow and Kyiv attributed the impasse to Washington's shift in attention towards the conflict with Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously indicated that President Vladimir Putin was open to meeting the US envoys should they travel to Moscow, emphasizing the importance of the proposals they would present.
At the press briefing, Peskov criticized Western leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and current British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, for maintaining what he described as a persistent 'aggressive' position towards Russia. Peskov accused them of misleading their constituents by suggesting that Russia could be defeated and criticized the ongoing deployment of NATO military contingents in Ukraine.
Peskov also addressed rumors of a US military aircraft landing in Moscow. He stated that he had "no such information" regarding the event. According to Flightradar24, a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from Riga, Latvia, to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport before returning to Riga the same day. CBS News, citing sources, reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Moscow for meetings. Axios reported that Washington had informed Kyiv of an impending visit by a senior delegation to Moscow, requesting Ukraine to suspend military actions until the delegation's departure.
Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev corroborated the reports of Ratcliffe's arrival in Moscow, suggesting that the meeting could have caused a change in President Putin's schedule. Neither Russian nor US officials have commented on these reports, which, if verified, would mark the first visit of its kind since then-CIA Director William Burns' trip to Moscow in 2021.