The Kremlin says Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to peace in Ukraine. He claims they cannot achieve it as fast as the United States wants.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath”.
But Washington has been signalling it is frustrated by the failure of Moscow and Kyiv to reach terms. This to end the deadliest land war in Europe since World War II.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says that the conflict is so complicated and rapid progress. Towards peace would be difficult to achieve.
“The president remains open to political and diplomatic methods of resolving this conflict,”
he said.
Russia’s aims had to be achieved either way, he added, saying Moscow’s preference was to achieve those aims peacefully.
He noted Mr Putin had expressed a willingness for direct talks with Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t heard any statements in this context from Kyiv,” he said.
“So we don’t know whether Kyiv is ready or not.”
However, Mr Peskov also said Russia’s duty was to win the conflict in Ukraine.
“What we are doing — the special military operation, all of Putin’s decisions — are absolutely correct,” he said.
Claims Ukraine conflict too complex
The US has been attempting to bridge the gap between Ukraine and Russia in the past two months. This in a bid to bring about an end to the conflict.
“We understand that Washington is willing to achieve a quick success in this process,”.
But Russian state-owned newsagency TASS quoted Mr Peskov saying the root causes of the Ukraine conflict were too complex to be resolved in one day. On Monday, Mr Putin declared a three-day ceasefire in May. This to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union over the Nazis in World War II.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that progress in resolving the war depended on Russia. They expect them taking the first step of agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday he thought Mr Putin wanted to stop the war in Ukraine. He added that if it was not for him, Russia would try to “take over the whole” of Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that now was the time for concrete proposals from Moscow and Kyiv. He warned the US will step back as a mediator if there is no progress.
Mr Trump refused to answer a question about whether the US would halt military aid to Ukraine if Washington walked away from talks.
Conflict continues
Mr Peskov’s comments come as Kyiv’s air force claimed Russia had launched 108 drones late on Tuesday and overnight to attack targets in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force shoot down 50 drones, while 22 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets — usually a result of being jammed by electronic warfare systems.
Dnipro and Kharkiv were the main targets of the attack, the air force added.Meanwhile, Ukraine’s SBU security agency told Reuters on Wednesday it was responsible for a drone strike on a defence manufacturing facility in Russia.
The official said the strike was on the Murom Instrument-Building Plant, 300 kilometres east of Moscow, which according to a European Union sanctions designation produces components for military ammunition.
Russia’s defence ministry also said on Wednesday that its forces had gained control over the village of Nove in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
Reuters could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
