"The Kremlin: There is a confirmed political will to resume talks to end the war in Ukraine"

The Russian presidency (the Kremlin) stated that there is “clear political will” to resume trilateral talks on ending the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, noting ongoing communications with the U.S. side and work on several files, foremost among them resolving the crisis. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia continues its communications with the United States regarding the Ukrainian file, clarifying that Moscow does not rule out resuming the trilateral talk format in this regard. He pointed out that Russia and the United States are continuing work on prisoner exchanges, with this file being discussed at the highest levels, including during communications between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Peskov explained that Putin and Trump’s discussions during their phone call the day before yesterday focused on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and they agreed on the importance of continuing prisoner exchange operations. He also noted the possibility of a summit between Putin, Trump, and their Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled to be held in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in media statements that NATO’s efforts in recent years have turned the Arctic region into a geopolitical confrontation zone with Russia. She added that NATO’s activity in the Arctic poses a threat to Russia’s security, noting that Moscow views military developments in the region as part of an escalating geopolitical tension. Zakharova expressed Russia’s readiness to take necessary measures to address emerging threats in the Arctic.