Russia does not expect any rapid progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

 

Dmitry Peskov

Russia does not expect any rapid progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

The Kremlin stressed on Tuesday that it would be a mistake to expect a quick breakthrough toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine, the day after the second round of direct talks with Kyiv.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "the issue of reaching a settlement is very complex and includes many delicate issues" that must be resolved, adding, "It would be a mistake to expect immediate solutions and breakthroughs."

The Russian official ruled out a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US President Donald Trump anytime soon, a day after the White House confirmed its "openness" to the idea.

"It's unlikely in the near future," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the chances of such a meeting, adding that a summit of this kind could only take place after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators reached an "agreement."

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan renewed his call for a summit between the Russian, Ukrainian, and American presidents in Turkey.

After a second meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, Erdoğan said, "My greatest hope... is to bring Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy together in Istanbul or Ankara, and even to have Donald Trump join them, if they agree... and I will join them to make Istanbul a center for peace."

The Turkish president considered holding the meeting "a success in itself" after the Ukrainian offensive, referring to Kyiv's drone attack on Sunday on military airfields deep inside Russian territory.

The operation targeted four Russian military airfields and dozens of aircraft, including strategic bombers, and was considered the largest since the start of the conflict, according to the Ukrainian Security Service.