Kremlin dismisses Trump’s nuclear submarine claims, signals possible Putin–Witkoff talks

The Kremlin has weighed in on two significant developments involving US-Russia relations, offering clarity on the status of American nuclear submarines and the prospects of high-level diplomatic engagements in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Responding to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump concerning American nuclear submarines, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that these vessels remain on active combat duty regardless of political statements, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Peskov highlighted that the operational status of the US submarine fleet is a continuous and standard process, unaffected by rhetoric exchanged between political figures.

“In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. It’s an ongoing process,” Peskov affirmed, commenting on the public online exchange between Trump and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

Shifting focus to diplomatic efforts surrounding the war in Ukraine, Peskov also addressed rumors of a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

During a briefing, the Kremlin spokesperson acknowledged that such a meeting in Moscow could take place this week, underscoring the continued importance of US mediation efforts in seeking a resolution to the conflict.

“We do not rule out the possibility of such a meeting taking place. The United States continues its efforts to mediate in the search for a path to a Ukrainian settlement. These efforts are very important, including in the context of the ongoing process of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. The work is ongoing...” Peskov stated.

Further elaborating on the prospects of direct dialogue, Peskov confirmed that President Putin remains open to meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, contingent upon thorough expert-level preparations.

“All the preparatory work for a meeting has not yet been done. I would like to remind you that the President himself does not rule out such a meeting once the necessary groundwork has been completed at the expert level and the appropriate distance has been bridged,” he explained.

By Vafa Guliyeva