Kremlin says peace deal must be reached with Ukraine, not US

ISTANBUL

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a peace deal on the Russia-Ukraine war should be reached with Kyiv rather than Washington, a day after the US warned it would step back as a mediator on the issue if there is no progress.

Speaking at an educational marathon in the Russian capital, Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his country is grateful to the US for its efforts in trying to mediate a peace deal with Ukraine, and that it hopes Washington's efforts are successful.

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for proposals on the issue and that Moscow understands the US wants to achieve quick results in this process.

"At the same time, we understand that the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis are too complex to be resolved overnight. There are many nuances that need to be taken into account," he further said.

“A peace agreement must be concluded with Ukraine, not with America,” Peskov also said, noting that direct contacts between Putin and US President Donald Trump can be established if necessary.

The spokesman said that Putin continued to remain open to political and diplomatic means to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, arguing that they are not hearing any reaction from Kyiv on the issue.

He also said it is “absolutely impossible” not to recognize the current situation on the ground with regards to discussions on a settlement, reminding that Russia is still open to direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions.

“Unfortunately, we have not yet heard any statements or comments from Kyiv, so we do not know whether Kyiv is ready for this or not,” he also said.

Commenting on a Truth Social post by Trump on Saturday, Peskov said that Putin supports a ceasefire initiative in Ukraine, but that a “whole series of nuances” need to be resolved first.

In a post amid Russian missile attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities, Trump said there was “no reason” for the strikes that took place, which he said makes him think that Putin maybe “doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along.”

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington will step back as a mediator in ongoing peace talks if it does not see "concrete proposals" from Moscow and Kyiv to end the conflict.