MEZIESBLOG

The Kremlin has denied reports that Vladimir Putin was “putting out feelers” to the United States for possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported the president was “testing the waters” on whether Washington was ready to engage in talks and might consider dropping key demands on Ukraine’s security status. 

It cited two people close to the Kremlin as saying Mr Putin “may be willing to consider dropping an insistence on neutral status for Ukraine and even ultimately abandon opposition to eventual NATO membership – the threat of which has been a central Russian justification for the invasion”.

But asked whether Moscow was ready to give up its demands on neutrality and NATO, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “No, this is a wrong report. It absolutely does not correspond to reality.”

Did Putin ‘put out feelers’ to the United States over ending the war?

Media reports claim the Kremlin has been forced to deny Vladimir Putin has been testing the waters on whether the US was ready to begin talks to end the war.

The comments came after a report by Bloomberg that cited unnamed two people close to the Kremlin.

Here, we take a look at their report in more detail.

Sources told the news agency that the Russian president signalled to senior US officials he was open to discussions via an intermediary.

They said Mr Putin may drop two key positions: Neutral status for Ukraine and opposition to eventual NATO membership.

This is despite the Russian leader making the threat of NATO a central Russian justification for his invasion.

In return, Kyiv would have to accept Kremlin control of the 18% of Ukrainian territory the Russian army occupies – something Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected in the strongest terms.

US officials said they saw no indication Mr Putin was serious about ending the conflict, with National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson telling Bloomberg the council was “unaware of the shifts in Russia’s position described”.