MOSCOW (Dispatches) - The Kremlin said on Monday that it had ‌not seen any specific information regarding new proposals for a peace settlement in Ukraine ahead of a meeting in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Trump and Zelenskiy are due to hold talk in Washington on Tuesday.
A Ukrainian source said last week that U.S. and Ukrainian officials had been discussing a proposal for an air ceasefire to take to Russian counterparts as part of a new round of peace talks.
“It is true that this information emerged a few days ago, but so ‌far it is nothing more than media speculation. There are no specific details on this matter, nor are there any specific details regarding any new proposals or suggestions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with Russian Navy service members said that Western countries promised former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand eastward, but they did not care about that promise or Moscow’s security concerns.
“They once promised us, Mikhail Gorbachev, that they would not expand NATO. Instead, it was one round of expansion after another, despite our repeated protests and objections. They didn’t care about their promises or the Russian Federation’s security interests,” he said.
Putin said Russia and its government are fighting for truth and justice.
“Today, we continue defending the country’s security and independence, truth, and justice,” he said at a meeting with lawmakers of the outgoing State Duma, or lower house of parliament, of the 8th convocation.
“I would like to thank you for the effective joint work, first of all, to strengthen state sovereignty and defend national interests of our Fatherland,” he stressed.