Peskov underlined the event’s special significance, saying that Western sanctions will not hinder negotiations between Russia and the US because they can be "lifted as quickly as they were imposed".

“This is a strong signal that we will now try to solve problems through dialogue”, he said, adding now Russia and the US will talk about peace, not conflict.

On February 12, President Putin and President Trump had their first phone call since Trump took office on January 20. The nearly an hour and a half conversation discussed various issues, including resolving the conflict in Ukraine.