Putin Briefed on Negotiation Outcomes, Says Peskov

The Russian side will not discuss Crimea with anyone; it is part of Russia. This issue will not be addressed in negotiations with Ukraine, stated Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of Russia.

He also added that the Kremlin believes the credibility of the dollar has significantly weakened, and the only alternative is the expansion of the use of national currencies. The Russian government is working in that direction.

Regarding the discussions about the possibility of creating a new payment unit for settlements with friendly countries, he noted that these are media speculations.

Peskov also reported that Medinsky, who is negotiating with Ukraine on behalf of Russia, has briefed Putin on the outcomes of negotiations in Istanbul and will provide additional clarifications to the media on Wednesday. It is still too early to speak of anything promising; extensive work lies ahead. The Kremlin considers it positive that the Ukrainian side has begun to formulate its proposals more concretely.

Addressing the issue of switching to payments in rubles for Russian gas, Peskov mentioned that this is a long process.