The Kremlin said Monday that President Vladimir Putin “remains open” to speaking with Donald Trump after the U.S. president expressed frustration over stalled ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine.
Trump, who has been pushing to quickly end the war, criticized both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recent interview with NBC, saying he was “very angry” with the Russian leader.
“I’m pissed off at Putin,” Trump told the network, slamming the Kremlin leader for questioning Zelensky’s credibility as a negotiating partner and calling for new leadership in Ukraine.
“The president remains open to contact with President Trump,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
While no call is currently scheduled between the two leaders, Peskov said one could be “organized promptly” if deemed necessary.
Earlier this month, Putin rejected a U.S. proposal for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine — an offer that Zelensky supported — and escalated his rhetoric about installing a new government in Kyiv.
“We continue working with the American side, primarily on rebuilding our bilateral relations, which suffered significant damage during the previous administration,” Peskov said.
“Additionally, we are engaged in efforts to implement certain ideas related to the resolution of the Ukraine situation,” he added while noting that he had “no specific details to share.”
Peskov called the negotiations “time-consuming” due to the “complexity” of the war.
On Sunday, NBC News journalist Kristen Welker said Trump called her to express anger at Putin and threatened tariffs on companies dealing in Russian oil.
Trump later said he was “disappointed” in Putin over his remarks about Zelensky.
“He’s supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or don’t like him,” Trump said.
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