Kremlin Urges US-Russia Deals Before Ukraine Settlement

The Kremlin said that Russia and the US could already begin working on mutually beneficial economic projects, despite Washington’s position that progress on such initiatives should follow a settlement of the war in Ukraine.“Regretfully, as before, the Americans link this entire process, despite the obvious benefit, to the Ukrainian settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday, Oct. 1, during a daily briefing.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“They say that first comes the settlement, and only then the implementation of projects. We believe we don’t have to wait, we could work for our mutual benefit right now,” Peskov added.His comments came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev traveled to Washington for talks with US officials.A US official described the discussions as “constructive” and said they focused on a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war and possible US-Russia energy initiatives after the conflict ends. Reuters reported that Dmitriev met with representatives of the US Treasury and Energy departments.Peskov said Dmitriev had briefed Putin on the outcome of his meetings in Washington and that dialogue between Moscow and Washington was continuing.Earlier in September, the Kremlin said US President Donald Trump had urged Putin to end the war in order to unlock what Moscow described as “impressive and large-scale” US-Russia trade prospects. Other Topics of Interest Russia Plans to Cut 90% of Power, Heat and Water in Ukraine’s Biggest Cities A document Ukraine shared with European partners reportedly outlines attacks using up to 1,000 missiles, drones, and bombs, including strikes intended to force nuclear power plants offline. According to the Kremlin, Putin responded with an “objective and thorough analysis” of the battlefield situation and his views on how to achieve Russia’s stated war objectives.Dmitriev has also remained involved in contacts with Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He participated in their meetings with Putin in Moscow earlier in September, when the sides also discussed potential economic projects.On Wednesday, Peskov dismissed media reports that Moscow was discussing the release of Russian political prisoners in exchange for the easing of US sanctions. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.