28 Jan 2020 14:56

Surkov still presidential aide de jure - Peskov

MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Vladislav Surkov is still de jure a presidential aide, and the adjustment of nuances concerning the distribution of duties between top officials in the presidential office, including those in charge of the relationship with Ukraine, is continuing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

"Surkov is still de jure an aide to the Russian president," Peskov said on Tuesday.

When asked whether this means that Putin does not want to let him go, Peskov said, "I didn't say that. I am just stating the way the situation is now."

Asked to comment on how duties are distributed among various officials in the Kremlin's Executive Office with regard to their appointments, he said, "This concerns legal wordings and certain nuances from the standpoint of some functions overlapping those of other units in the presidential office. We will inform you when it is defined."

In reply to the question of who will be in charge of various aspects of Russia's interactions with Ukraine, Peskov said, "The fine-tuning is ongoing."