The Kremlin said on Monday it welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's desire to focus on the pursuit of peace in Ukraine after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and the radical Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported. Moscow also expressed hope that the American leader would influence Kiev to negotiate a faster end to the war that began in February 2022.
In his speech to the Israeli parliament (Knesset) yesterday, Trump, who facilitated the deal between Israel and Hamas, said he wanted to reach an agreement with Tehran on the Iranian nuclear program, but at the same time noted that he was initially focused on ending the war in Ukraine.
"We (...) need to finish the Russia issue first. If you don't mind, Steve, let's focus on Russia first," said the US president, addressing his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has already had talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains open to peace talks.
"We definitely welcome such intentions, as well as the confirmation of the political will to do everything possible to promote the pursuit of a peaceful solution," Peskov said when asked about Trump's statements.
"We already know Mr. Witkoff well; he is effective, he has proven his effectiveness now in the Middle East, and we hope that his talents will continue to contribute to the work that is already being done on the Ukraine issue," the Kremlin spokesman noted.
Russia accuses Ukraine of stalling the talks and failing to respond to Moscow's proposal to set up working groups to clarify individual aspects of a possible peace agreement. Kiev, in turn, accuses Russia of taking such a deal lightly and trying to impose conditions that amount to a demand for Ukraine to surrender.
"The Russian side remains open and ready for peaceful dialogue, and we hope that the influence of the United States and the diplomatic skills of President Trump's envoys will help encourage the Ukrainian side to be more active and show greater willingness to engage in the peace process," Peskov said.
He noted that the dialogue with the United States on Ukraine is also at a standstill, while Trump has spoken about the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Moscow has made it clear that it would consider such a delivery a dangerous escalation of the war, Reuters recalls.
