The key facts

  • Peskov confirmed the continuation of US mediation and highly valued it; for a final settlement, he said, a party in Kyiv ready to take responsibility is needed.
  • The possibility of a meeting of Putin, Xi Jinping and Trump was mentioned, but without substantive proposals; Sybiga called such a format harmful, and a trilateral meeting of Ukraine, the US and Russia useful.
  • Mishustin proposed personnel changes approved by Putin: Siluanov may become deputy prime minister while retaining the post of finance minister.

Assessment of US mediation

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing in Moscow on Monday that the American side continues mediation and peace-making efforts to settle the conflict in Ukraine, and Russia highly values them. According to him, a final settlement will require the participation of someone in Kyiv ready to take on responsibility.

Possible trilateral meeting of leaders

Peskov confirmed that the possibility of a trilateral meeting of Putin, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump was mentioned in contacts between Putin and Trump, since all three leaders could potentially attend a summit in China. At the same time, he noted, substantive proposals or agreements on such a meeting and its agenda were not discussed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiga said in a separate statement that a trilateral meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, the US and Russia could help end the war faster, while a meeting of Russia, China and the US 'would have exactly the opposite effect'.

Unrest in Europe

Commenting on the unrest in Europe, Peskov called the situation 'a major crisis': riots in the largest cities of France, according to him, have spread to Italy and are beginning to affect other countries. He characterized what is happening as 'unrest that is in fact already bordering on chaos,' adding that it is an internal matter of the respective states.

Personnel changes in the government

Peskov said that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin proposed changes to the composition of the Cabinet, which Putin approved; now the necessary parliamentary procedures for approving the new candidates will begin. All deputy prime ministers will continue to perform their duties until the relevant decrees are issued. The reshuffle includes a proposal to appoint Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as deputy prime minister while retaining his portfolio: according to Peskov, this reflects the need for stronger coordination of budget discipline in the current economic situation, and the role of the Finance Ministry in maintaining macroeconomic stability is especially important. He recommended clarifying details with Mishustin's spokesman Boris Belyakov.

Business proposal on air defense funding

Answering a question about a proposal by Russian business to finance the development of new air defense systems to protect industrial facilities, Peskov said that this initiative had not been discussed in detail in the Kremlin and falls within the competence of the government.