UPDATE - Russia says monitoring formation of Trump's cabinet

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY KREMLIN SPOKESMAN, CHANGES DECK

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Thursday said Russia is monitoring the formation of US President-elect Donald Trump’s second-term administration.

"We are certainly monitoring this, but believe me, this is not our top priority. It is too early to talk about anything right now," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Denying any talks between the Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Peskov said it is too early to talk if obstacles to the normal work of the UN headquarters in New York will be removed during Trump’s second term in office.

"This is not the only question that can be put to the American side. The agenda of irritating issues (between Moscow and Washington) is so extensive that it would be wrong to single out one issue as a priority," Peskov added.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Wednesday met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Baku, and expressed concern about visa restrictions imposed by the US on Russian representatives participating in the work of UN General Assembly bodies.

Several key cabinet members have been named in Trump's second-term administration, which will formally be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.

Those named in Trump’s new cabinet include Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth, who will become secretary of state and secretary of defense, respectively.

Turning to media reports claiming Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Peskov confirmed the topic was touched upon during their Wednesday's phone talk.

Addressing remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said Russia's official delegations had problems with flying abroad as their planes experience difficulties with refueling because some companies refuse to provide this service for fear of secondary sanctions, Peskov said such problems also affect decisions on the foreign visits of the president.

Commenting on reports claiming some Western and Japanese automotive producers will return to Russia, the Kremlin spokesman said all countries are pragmatic and if necessary they make exclusions from restrictions out of their own interests. Several companies exited Russia after the launch of Ukraine war in 2022.