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The Kremlin on Monday said there are no new proposals or negotiation frameworks on the table to end the war in Ukraine, dismissing reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump could discuss an air ceasefire during upcoming talks.
"There are no concrete details on this matter," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, calling the reports "nothing more than media speculation."
Peskov's remarks came ahead of a meeting in Washington on Tuesday between Zelenskyy and Trump, where the two leaders are expected to discuss renewed U.S.-backed efforts to end the war.
Peskov also brushed aside questions about Ukrainian claims that Russia is preparing to deepen military cooperation with North Korea. "I don't think it's necessary to comment on. It's not for Zelenskyy to talk about our plans," he said when asked about the allegations.
Zelenskyy claimed over the weekend that Russia is preparing to deploy an additional 30,000 North Korean troops to support its campaign in Ukraine.
He alleged that facilities in Russia's Voronezh region have been readied since June to receive the troops and that Pyongyang is preparing to supply more ballistic missile launchers to Moscow.
Russia and North Korea have significantly expanded defense ties since signing a mutual defense treaty in 2024.
Peskov also ruled out equipping Russian merchant vessels with weapons, saying international maritime law does not allow commercial ships to be armed. He added that installing other defensive equipment on civilian vessels was also not an option.
Instead, Peskov said the Russian Navy could take measures to protect merchant shipping, pointing to remarks by President Vladimir Putin a day earlier.
During Russia's Navy Day events, Putin instructed the navy to respond to attempts to seize Russian vessels, including commercial ships, and said any action should be carried out "within the framework of international maritime law, but decisively."
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian-linked shipping in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, while Russia has accused Western countries of attempting to interfere with or seize vessels carrying Russian cargo under sanctions enforcement measures.
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