Kremlin Denies Report About Putin's Communication with the U.S. for Talks to End Ukraine War

The Kremlin denied a Bloomberg report today, Friday, stating that President Vladimir Putin is "testing the waters" with the United States regarding the possibility of talks to end the war in Ukraine and may be considering giving up two key demands related to Ukraine's security situation. The Bloomberg report indicated that Putin is "gauging" whether Washington is willing to engage in discussions and has communicated with the U.S. through indirect channels. Bloomberg cited two individuals close to the Kremlin who said that Putin "might be willing to consider abandoning the insistence on Ukraine's neutral status and even ultimately relinquish opposition to its NATO membership, which was a key justification for Russia's invasion." Journalists asked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about the story, specifically whether Moscow is truly ready to abandon its demands regarding neutrality and NATO membership. Peskov responded, "No, this is an incorrect report. It does not correspond to reality at all."