By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold discussions with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, adding that Moscow is awaiting a signal from Washington.
On Thursday, Trump expressed his desire to meet with Putin as soon as possible to secure an end to the war in Ukraine and reiterated his commitment to working towards reducing nuclear arms.
The U.S. leader had earlier warned Russia to end what he described as the “ridiculous war” in Ukraine or face high tariffs and additional sanctions.
When asked whether Mr Putin and Mr Trump would use the weekend to hold their first phone call since Mr Trump’s inauguration — an essential precursor to a face-to-face meeting for deeper discussions — Mr Peskov stated:
“Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals (from Washington). Everyone is ready. It is difficult to read the coffee grounds here. As soon as there is something, if there is something, we will inform you,” Peskov said, responding to whether Putin and Trump would hold their first telephone conversation this weekend ahead of their anticipated physical meeting.
In a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump reiterated his aim to work towards cutting nuclear arms, stating that he believed Russia and China might support reducing their weapons capabilities. Peskov confirmed that Putin is in agreement with nuclear de-escalation.
“We’d like to see denuclearisation… and I will tell you, President Putin really liked the idea of cutting way back on nuclear. And I think the rest of the world, we would have gotten them to follow, and China would have come along too,” Trump said.
Peskov noted that Putin had expressed his willingness to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations promptly. However, he emphasised that such talks would need to involve a wider range of countries, including those with nuclear arsenals like France and Britain.
“So there is something to discuss; we need to talk. Time has been lost in many respects. We have spoken about such interest before, so the ball is in the court of the U.S., which has ceased all substantive contacts with our country,” said Peskov.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads the United States and Russia can deploy, as well as the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them, is due to expire on 5 February 2026.
It remains the last significant pillar of nuclear arms control between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
