The Kremlin has dismissed Ukrainian President Zelensky's unprecedented offer for direct peace talks with Putin, citing a 2022 decree that banned negotiations. The rejection comes amid escalating tensions and accusations from both sides.

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Monday it had yet to receive any signals from the United States about arranging a possible meeting between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, but remained ready to organise such an encounter.

The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he was ready for direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as "empty words". A decree signed by Zelensky in 2022 rules out direct talks with Putin -- something Peskov pointed to on Wednesday and that Moscow regularly highlights when asked if it is ready for talks with Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump and Moscow is waiting for word from Washington that it is ready too, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday it had established contact with the Trump administration, as discussions begin about the possibility of holding peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Russia has not rejected talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, even though President Vladimir Putin considers him an "illegal" president of Ukraine, stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He also confirmed that the Kremlin is in contact with the Trump administration.

The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that Russian officials have been in contact with members of the Trump administration but did not say whether the discussions focused on ending the war in Ukraine. “There are indeed contacts between certain agencies,