The Kremlin and Russian Foreign Ministry have claimed that Moscow is continuing preparations for a meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States, while complaining about widespread "rumours and disinformation" surrounding the issue.

The Kremlin has not changed its stance on its territorial demands from Ukraine, Moscow said, rejecting speculation that Russia might have scaled back its terms for a possible ceasefire to end the war.

The United States hit Russia’s major oil companies with sanctions on Wednesday and accused the Russians of a lack of commitment toward ending the war in Ukraine, as Moscow conducted a major training exercise involving nuclear arms.

Moscow appears to have rejected President Trump’s latest call to freeze the current front lines in Ukraine, reiterating that “Russia’s stance doesn’t change.”  Addressing Trump’s proposal over the

President Donald Trump's unexpected pivot on the Russia-Ukraine War seems to have created headaches for the Kremlin.

The Kremlin said on Monday that it had its own capabilities to cover all of its battlefield needs after being asked about a Ukrainian claim that China was providing intelligence to enable Moscow to better launch missile strikes against Ukraine.

"We cannot postpone something that has not been finalised. Neither President Trump nor President Putin have given exact dates. Preparation is needed, serious preparation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Moscow currently had "no understanding" of when a meeting between the two presidents might take place.

Syria’s interim leader, who led a swift rebel offensive last year that ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad despite years of Moscow’s support, made his first visit to Russia and held talks with President Vladimir Putin.

This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. The European Union and Ukrainian President

As a Ukrainian, I’ve seen firsthand how Russia has learned to emulate American soft power for authoritarian ends.