Elena Teslova
19 October 2026•Update: 19 October 2026
Russia highly values US mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said a final settlement would require the participation of someone from Kyiv willing to take responsibility.
“The American side continues its mediation and peacemaking efforts, and we highly value them,” he said.
Peskov also confirmed that the possibility of a trilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump had been mentioned during Putin-Trump contacts, given that all three leaders could potentially attend a summit in China.
However, no substantive proposals or agreements had been discussed regarding such a meeting or its possible agenda, he said.
Responding to the initiative in a separate statement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said a trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the US and Russia could help end the war sooner.
“A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the US would do only the opposite,” he said.
Commenting on unrest spreading across Europe, Peskov described the situation as “a major crisis,” saying disturbances in France’s largest cities had spread to Italy and were beginning to affect other countries.
“These are disturbances that are effectively already bordering on chaos,” he said, adding that the situation was an internal matter for the countries concerned.
Peskov also addressed the proposed reshuffle of the Russian government, describing personnel changes as “a normal part of its work.”
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin had proposed changes to the Cabinet, which Putin had approved, he said.
The necessary parliamentary procedures for approving the new nominees would now begin, Peskov added, noting that all deputy prime ministers would continue performing their duties until the relevant presidential decrees were issued.
The reshuffle includes a proposal to appoint Finance Minister Anton Siluanov as deputy prime minister while retaining his finance portfolio. Peskov said the move reflected the need for stronger coordination of fiscal discipline amid the current economic situation.
The Finance Ministry’s role in maintaining macroeconomic stability was particularly important at the present time, he said, highlighting budget discipline and the need to coordinate the work of several government departments.
Asked about a proposal by Russian businesses to finance the development of new air defense systems to protect industrial facilities, Peskov said the initiative had not been discussed in detail at the Kremlin and fell within the government’s remit.
He also referred journalists to explanations previously provided by Mishustin’s press secretary, Boris Belyakov, regarding the government reshuffle.
