Kremlin: No Quick Resolution for Ukraine Conflict

By Staff, Agencies

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged US President Donald Trump's attempts to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict but emphasized that Moscow believes there is no immediate solution. He reiterated that addressing the root causes of the conflict is essential for any lasting resolution.

Speaking to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Peskov said that “Trump’s sincere wish to resolve all acute crises, including the one surrounding Ukraine, surely brings out only positive feelings, and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has said that repeatedly.”

“But sometimes such excessive haste actually sharply contrasts with reality, because a conflict like the Ukraine one… is so complex that it cannot be resolved overnight,” the official stressed.

Peskov added that peace negotiations had been put on hold for the time being, as Kiev and its European backers showed no interest in resuming them.

Commenting on a possible new meeting between Putin and Trump, discussions of which began after their phone call earlier this month, the Kremlin spokesman emphasized that such a summit should not be held for its own sake, as neither side is willing to waste time.

Putin and Trump have tasked their top diplomats – Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – to lay the foundation for future talks, he added.

“The process is complex and requires both sides to do substantial preparatory work before top-level negotiations can take place,” Peskov noted.

Earlier this month, Trump called for an immediate halt to the hostilities along the current front lines, urging Moscow and Kiev to “leave it the way it is right now” and negotiate “something later on.” Lavrov, in response, reiterated that Moscow sought a “long-term, sustainable peace,” as opposed to an “immediate, pointless ceasefire.”

On Thursday, President Putin said he could still meet with Trump at a later date. The US president did not rule out such a possibility either, on Saturday, telling reporters that “you have to know that we’re going to make a deal, I’m not going to be wasting my time.”