Russia Blames Kyiv and Europe for Stalled Ukrainian Peace Process
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that the halt in resolving the Ukrainian conflict stems from Kyiv's refusal to engage in political and diplomatic solutions. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov accused European countries of provoking Ukraine to continue the conflict.
"The main thing that is currently slowing down the settlement process is the pause that has arisen due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to follow the path of a political and diplomatic settlement, and due to the provocation of the Kyiv regime by the Europeans to continue further hostilities."
Regarding US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's comments on the lack of trust between Russia and Ukraine, Peskov confirmed the situation.
"Of course, we cannot talk about any kind of mutual trust now. This is not a deficit of trust, but its absence."
Peskov chose not to comment on US President Donald Trump's statement from Thursday, where Trump claimed he had ended eight armed conflicts this year and wished to include the Ukrainian settlement among his achievements, asserting that Washington has made "great progress" on this matter.
On the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump, Peskov noted that such a meeting would be desirable for both parties at some point, but it must be preceded by thorough preparation.
"It will be in demand by both sides at a certain stage, but must be preceded by scrupulous work."
Author's summary: The Kremlin attributes the stalled Ukrainian peace talks to Kyiv's refusal to engage diplomatically and accuses European influence of encouraging continued conflict, while trust between Russia and Ukraine remains completely absent.