Kremlin sees no desire, will for negotiations in US: spokesman

The US authorities are well aware of all Vladimir Putin's key messages, but there is currently neither desire nor political will to hold negotiations on the US side, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"The US authorities are well aware of our position, they are well aware of all Putin's key messages," the spokesman said, answering a question if Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson will help conveying Moscow's standpoint to Washington.

"And they are well aware of how he treats [various issues] and what he thinks. This is not an issue of knowledge, but an issue of desire. A desire to do something to enter the negotiations track. So far, we have not registered such desire and political will [in the US]," Peskov underscored.

Putin's interview for Tucker Carlson was published on 9 February. A significant portion of the two-hour-long conversation was dedicated to the Ukrainian conflict, Russia's relations with the US, NATO and the West in general. 

In particular, the Russian leader expressed his certainty that the current state of Russian-American affairs is connected not to any particular person occupying the Oval office, but to the mood of the elites. 

According to Putin, if the idea of dominance at any cost, including by force, prevails in the US society, nothing will change for the better. 

However, if US ruling elites comprehend that the world changes, then a US president will act in accordance with these expectations, Putin noted.