Kremlin: US, Russia agree to resume diplomatic dialogue
Shafaq News/ Russia and the United States have agreed to resume diplomatic dialogue across multiple fields, the Kremlin revealed on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the agreement followed discussions in Riyadh earlier this week. While the dialogue aims to address issues of mutual interest, the question of a potential prisoner exchange remains on the table, he said.
The talks come after Russia recently freed two Americans, including teacher Marc Fogel, in exchange for Russian cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik. Peskov noted that further negotiations on detainees could follow.
Despite the diplomatic overtures, Moscow expressed alarm over reports that European troops could be deployed to Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly discussed a plan involving fewer than 30,000 European troops, backed by US guarantees, as part of a future security arrangement.
Peskov dismissed the proposal as “unacceptable,” warning that any NATO presence in Ukraine would constitute a direct security threat to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed the concern, labeling the potential deployment a “direct threat” to Russian sovereignty.
Western media outlets, including The Washington Post and The Daily Mail, have reported that European countries are considering assembling a 25,000-strong military force to support Kyiv without engaging on the frontlines. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service claimed that Western powers were preparing to deploy up to 100,000 troops under the pretext of peacekeeping.
Meanwhile, Russia said its military operations were ongoing, with particular attention on Ukraine’s reported preparations for an assault on the Bryansk region. Moscow assured that its defense forces were monitoring the situation along the border.
During the Riyadh talks, Russia also reiterated its demand that NATO retract its 2008 pledge to admit Ukraine into the alliance, asserting that NATO’s expansion toward its borders is a core security concern.
