Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments when asked about a weekend visit to Moscow and Kyiv by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner who are trying to breathe new life into stalled talks designed to find a way to end the war in Ukraine.
"As for the resumption of the trilateral format, you heard the statement from Kyiv yesterday. Mr Kushner made such statements. We, too, do not rule out the resumption of this trilateral format, but it is still too early to speak of the venue and exact dates," Peskov told reporters when asked if three-way peace talks would resume.
Peskov, who declined to discuss in detail the content of the latest US peace proposals or what the hardest outstanding issues to solve are, said the Kremlin did not rule out a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to discuss the US envoys' trip.
"Undoubtedly, any attempts... represent a small step towards peace, and we truly hold the peace-building efforts of the American negotiators in very high regard," Peskov told reporters.
"President Putin himself has said that he holds President Trump's efforts in high regard, and that he is grateful to President Trump for his commitment to this path towards peace."
Moscow had not yet received any information about contacts between the US envoys and Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday, Peskov said.
Earlier Witkoff and Kushner said they held encouraging talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other top Ukrainian officials in Kyiv.
After the first round of talks between Ukrainian and US negotiators that lasted about three hours, the US envoys said they were looking forward to making more progress.
"Substantive, important, and we are very encouraged," Witkoff told reporters after the talks, which also included a working lunch.
UK, French and German security advisers were in Kyiv on Sunday.
"Security guarantees are needed. A dignified post-war peace is needed. Our proposals have been drawn up," Zelenskiy said.
Witkoff and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, have visited Moscow several times in their roles as peace envoys.
Zelenskiy said after the meeting on Sunday that the territorial question "remains relevant" but reiterated his view that such difficult issues "can only be resolved at the level of leaders".
He said the talks also touched on long-term security guarantees and economic support for Ukraine's postwar reconstruction.
He said a strong Ukrainian army remained "one of the main guarantees of security".
Zelenskiy said the sides had agreed to hold a follow-up meeting involving Ukraine, the United States and European countries although a location has not been set.
Witkoff said that the US was pursuing "a diplomatic resolution to this conflict, not a kinetic resolution".
Referring to the previous day's talks, he said the meeting in Moscow had produced "new ideas" that were later brought to Kyiv.
Both sides would need to make compromises, Witkoff said, adding: "We think we have the ingredients to get to that place."
Although the front lines of the ground war remain largely static, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have intensified long-range air strikes in recent weeks.
with Reuters
