ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. Last night, Russian President Vladimir Putin received and read Vladimir Zelensky's "open letter" that was published in the media, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Izvestia on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

He also noted that US policy on Ukraine hasn't changed as much as it seems since Joe Biden's presidency, as evidenced by contradictory statements coming out of the White House.

TASS has compiled the key statements made by the Kremlin spokesman.

Zelensky’s open letter

Russian President Vladimir Putin received and read Vladimir Zelensky’s open letter, which was published in the media, last night: "Yes, we already handed over a written copy late last night. The president has reviewed the text as it appeared in the media. He has been briefed on it."

Putin was also "informed about the different reactions of world leaders." The topic of Zelensky’s "open letter" will most likely come up in some way at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) attended by Putin: "I’m sure this topic will come up in some way during the plenary session."

Pause in talks

Russia hopes for a resumption of the negotiation process to resolve the Ukrainian conflict: "We do hope that the current pause will eventually come to an end, and that some form of contact will be initiated. Especially since we continue to communicate with the Americans through existing channels."

The US seems not to have moved away from the policy Joe Biden initiated in the Ukrainian conflict, as evidenced by contradictory statements from the White House: "This continues. This is truly a war that was Biden’s war. In fact, Biden indirectly dragged the US into this conflict. To some extent, this trend continues."

"The White House’s position is, on the one hand, consistent; on the other hand, like everything in global affairs, it is quite contradictory. It is consistent in the sense that, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated, the US generally supports only one side - Ukraine - and that is where it is supplying weapons."

Despite all the contradictory statements from the White House, President Donald Trump genuinely wants a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, as do some members of his team: "Despite significant contradictions in their statements, it is specific actions that matter. And in these tangible efforts, we see a truly sincere desire on the part of President Trump and some members of his team to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict."

Russia appreciates the United States’ good offices regarding the Ukrainian settlement and is grateful to Washington for them: "This mission of good offices is costly, and we highly value it, and we are grateful to the Americans for this." Negotiations on Ukraine, currently on hold, may resume, but this depends on the Kiev regime: "Everything still depends on the Kiev regime."

Washington was confident that the Ukrainian conflict would be easy to resolve, whereas Moscow warned from the very beginning that it would be a difficult matter: "We warned from the very beginning that it could not be easy - it is a very complex problem."

Dialogue with Europe

Putin is open to dialogue with the West; all Europeans need to do is call: "We are not the ones causing this silence. Putin is open to dialogue. Therefore, if Europeans move away from their approach of non-communication with Russia, all they need to do is pick up the phone and dial the number."

Interest from Western business

The business community in Western countries is showing interest in the SPIEF and is awaiting statements from Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which will be made during the forum’s plenary session: "The main thing is the interest shown by Western business, and it is there; everyone is waiting today for the president’s speech, his statements during the panel session."

Relations with US

Russia should not get "too enamoured" with the United States, instead maintaining focus on its own national interests: "We are not inclined to wear rose-colored glasses or be too enamoured with the United States. We must all be primarily concerned with our own national interests."

A meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is not planned yet; preparations are needed first, especially regarding the Ukrainian issue: "Obviously, for the meeting to take place, significant groundwork must be laid in terms of advancing the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict. Unfortunately, we cannot yet say that this has been achieved."

Armenia situation

Armenia’s leadership is trying to force the country to choose between Europe and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU): " We know that the current leadership is trying to artificially put the country at a crossroads, intending to force it to choose between Europe and the EAEU."

Russia is also well aware of Armenia’s position on the CSTO: "Armenia has not been de facto participating in the CSTO’s activities for quite some time now."

Membership in the EAEU offers a lot of benefits for Armenia because the country sees greater growth as part of the bloc: "It's more beneficial; they make more money with the EAEU; they have a better future with the EAEU; they develop faster with the EAEU. That won't happen with Europe."

In any case, it is up to the Armenian people to decide: "And President Putin said: what is good for us is good for the Armenians. After all, there are more Armenians living in our country than in Armenia itself."

Orban’s pragmatism

Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has always been a pragmatist and a friend of the Hungarian people: "Orban has always been a great pragmatist; he wasn’t our friend, he was a friend of the Hungarian people, and he did what was in the Hungarians’ best interest."

Relations with Serbia

Russia and Serbia are bound by a partnership that allows them to discuss the most pressing issues: "Serbia is a country with which we truly have a partnership. And this partnership allows us to discuss the most pressing issues."