Russia stands ready to assist countries in Southeast Asia affected by a recent devastating earthquake, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
The strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, with tremors also felt in Thailand.
Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov emphasized Russia's willingness to swiftly respond to any aid requests from the impacted regions.
However, Peskov clarified that as of yet no formal requests for assistance had been received from the affected countries.
"To my knowledge, no such requests have arrived so far," he said. "Given how recently the earthquake occurred, the relevant authorities likely require some time to evaluate the extent of the damage and destruction."
Peskov reaffirmed Russia's commitment to providing support if needed, assuring reporters: "Should there be any appeals, the Russian side will certainly give them due consideration with utmost attention and expediency."
Turning to the situation in Ukraine, Peskov said the idea of external management in this country, voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin, was not discussed during his telephone contacts with his US counterpart Donald Trump.
"The president stressed that this is one of the ideas, one that perhaps should be kept in mind. As for the details, as you know, the president did not provide any details yesterday. And it's probably premature to talk about it yet," he said.
Meeting with submarine sailors in Russia's city of Murmansk on Thursday, Putin said international practice suggests the possibility of introducing external governance, which will pave the way for legitimate negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement.
"This is the point of view of the president of the Russian Federation, which is based on irrefutable facts related to the real status quo that we have now in Ukraine," he stressed.
He claimed Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure persist, noting that such incidents happen daily. According to his assessment, this may mean that the government is losing control over "nationalist formations."
Commenting on unwillingness of European countries to lift sanctions on Moscow as part of the restoration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Peskov said this meant they do not want peace.
"An integral part of the Black Sea initiative is the lifting of sanctions against our banking institution, which deals with settlements related to agricultural products. The essence of these limitations is very clear. And if European countries do not want to follow this path, it means that they do not want to follow the path of peace, they do not want to contribute and act in unison with the efforts that Moscow and Washington are making to reach a peaceful course," he said.
Peskov recalled that the provisions of the Black Sea initiative are not new, they were established in the initial agreement, which was guaranteed by the UN.
"The initiative worked, it worked. All obligations were fulfilled, with the exception of obligations towards the Russian Federation. They have not been fulfilled," he stated.
He added that Russia's conditions are well known to everyone: "Nothing new has appeared since then (July 2023, when Russia refused to further extend the deal citing lack of progress in lifting sanctions against agriculture related sectors)."
