The key facts
- Peskov neither confirmed nor denied a possible meeting between Putin and the Patriarch of Jerusalem, promising to provide the information in due time.
- It was previously reported that Patriarch Theophilos III intends to meet with Putin and Zelensky to help facilitate a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
- According to the patriarch, in June he received support for the initiative from US President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin refrained from commenting
Press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on reports of a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Answering journalists' questions, he limited himself to the phrase: 'We will inform you appropriately and in due time.' Thus, the Kremlin neither confirmed nor denied either the planned meeting itself or its timing.
What is known about the patriarch's initiative
Earlier, Life.ru reported on the intention of the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III to meet with Putin and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to help facilitate a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. The clergyman hoped to help the parties establish a dialogue and emphasized that he views his mission as peacekeeping rather than political. According to him, back in June he received support for this initiative from US President Donald Trump.
What remains unknown
It has not yet been confirmed whether the meeting will take place at all, in what format, and when. Peskov's statement effectively leaves the question open: information may be provided only 'at the appropriate time.' It should be noted separately that the report of Trump's support for the initiative rests on the patriarch's own words and has not been independently confirmed in available publications.
