Kremlin says Moscow has no positive expectations from Zelenskyy's trip to Washington

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Moscow has no positive expectations from a trip to Washington by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Kremlin spokesman said on Wednesday.

Asked at a press briefing in Moscow whether Russia expects that Kyiv's position will become more constructive after Zelenskyy's visit to the US and will change towards peace talks with Russia, Dmitry Peskov said: "I don't think so."

"Arms supplies are continuing, the range of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict, and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine," he said.

Peskov added that there is also no hope that Kyiv's negotiating position will "somehow change after the visit."

On Wednesday, the White House announced that Zelenskyy would arrive in Washington the same day to meet with his counterpart Joe Biden and address Congress.

Asked why the Kremlin did not specify the location of Russia's joint staff of military branches involved in what Moscow calls "a special military operation" in a statement about President Vladimir Putin's visit to the area, Peskov answered it is "classified information."

The spokesman also said this year Putin will not deliver his annual address to the Federal Assembly, a speech given by the Russian leader to outline the state of affairs in the country, its achievements, failures, and tasks.

About Putin's international contacts, Peskov said the president will not call his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to wish him a happy birthday on Dec. 21 and does not plan to meet with Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Dec. 22.