Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday in Moscow said Russia and the United States discussed the possibility of elections in Ukraine during high-level talks in Riyadh.
According to Russia news agency, there was an “exchange of views” on the subject during Tuesday’s meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“Of course, a decision on this cannot be made in Moscow or Washington,” Peskov added.
In what appears to be an attempt to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed aside, Moscow has portrayed him as an illegitimate leader and has been calling for elections that could result in his replacement.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s invasion, with regular presidential and parliamentary elections cancelled and political activity restricted.
There is broad agreement within the country that elections should not be held while battles continue, as it would be difficult to ensure the participation of soldiers and refugees both at home and abroad.
For Moscow, however, convincing the Trump administration in Washington that Zelensky should not play a role in negotiations to end the war would be advantageous and the issue of elections could serve as a useful talking point.
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself remains in power, thanks to a series of increasingly unfree and unfair elections.
Trump has recently taken positions that align with Russia’s stance on ending the war, including ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine, and no return to the borders as they existed in Ukraine before 2014.
