The Kremlin responded to Trump's statement that he keeps regular communication with Putin - and the answer is a classic diplomatic move: confirmation without content. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that Moscow regularly informs the public about phone calls between the two leaders, but deliberately avoided saying when the last such conversation actually took place. Trump, for his part, said they were talking, but also didn't reveal the date.

Both leaders say they're in touch - but neither says when or about what. That can mean they're in regular conversation and the content is sensitive. Or it can mean the link is rarer than either of them wants to make out. In diplomacy, this kind of constructive ambiguity is entirely deliberate - each side gets the room to claim it's in contact, without committing to specifics.

Peskov added that Putin receives multiple daily briefings on Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and the measures being considered - a reminder that, regardless of diplomatic jargon, military operations continue. The peace talk and the missile strikes happen in parallel.

For the region, this ambiguity is a familiar setting - the Balkans long ago learned to live in the space between what leaders say in public and what actually happens. Are Trump and Putin really agreeing on something significant? The answer won't come through the spokesmen.