Kremlin expects trilateral format to resume, calls ceasefire pause 'temporary'
Russia will not take part in the Ukraine-United States negotiations planned for 21 March 2026, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday, as cited by BBC News.
"These will be bilateral contacts between Ukrainians and Americans," Peskov said.
He added that Moscow expects the Russia-Ukraine-U.S. trilateral format to resume in the near future, describing the current pause as "temporary."
Peskov also outlined Moscow's conditions for what he called an "energy ceasefire": Kyiv must unconditionally halt attacks on energy infrastructure and end what he described as "energy blackmail of other states."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously called for a return to trilateral talks, which were indefinitely postponed amid the Middle East conflict.
The previous round of negotiations took place in Geneva on 17–18 February 2026. A prisoner exchange on a 500-for-500 formula followed on 5–6 March, BBC News reported.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
