RUSSIA: Kremlin-No Comment On Reuters' US-Russia Talks In Switzerland Report

State media reporting comments from Kremlin spox Dmitry Peskov. Says that "there is the understanding of the need for a Trump-Putin meeting" but that there are "no concrete details yet." Says that on the upcoming third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the "special military operation continues, and its goals will be achieved." Peskov: "We have goals related to our security and we are ready to achieve this through negotiations."

• Peskov: "The movement of NATO's military infrastructure towards Russia causes concern in Moscow, this position of the Russian Federation is well known."
• Asked about the Reuters report overnight claiming that according to its sources, the US and Russia have held contact in recent weeks in Switzerland, Peskov says "I cannot answer this question, I do not have such information,".
• The article claims "U.S. and Russian participants have quietly met in Switzerland for unofficial discussions about the Ukraine war in recent months, including as recently as last week [...]The sources described the talks as a side channel with some contacts occurring during the [Trump] transition period [...]. While the attendees have diplomatic and security experience, they are not government officials, and it was not immediately clear if any were sent by their governments [...]. At least a small number of advisers to Trump are aware of the encounters, said one of the sources, who had direct knowledge of the matter."
• Such reports are likely to only raise concerns in Kyiv and European capitals that the US is looking to exclude Ukraine and Europe from any ceasefire talks.