MOSCOW: Russia is still primed for talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, as well as for talks at other levels for discussing the pressing issues of the Russian-US relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
On Thursday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Trump would not meet with Putin until Moscow released Ukrainian ships and crew that had been seized last month within the Kerch Strait incident.
"We are still ready to hold a highest-level bilateral meeting, as well as to hold other meetings at different levels for starting the discussion of pressing issues related to our two countries, and of strategic security issues," Peskov told reporters.
"We still believe that Moscow and Washington equally need this meeting.
Certainly, this position can't be a reason for violating the process of proceeding and investigation that is underway against those who crossed the state border of the Russian Federation illegally," Peskov said.