The Kremlin said on Monday that it hopes for a quick end to Ukraine’s civil war, but that efforts toward a solution have stalled.
“I think we all agree that the war will end in the not-too-distant future,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Peskov reaffirmed the Kremlin’s position that it can end the war if Russia achieves its goals and prefers to do so through political and diplomatic means.
“But now there is a lull, the situation is stagnant. It is not our fault that it is stagnant,” he said, blaming Ukraine.
Ukraine and its European allies reject Moscow’s accusations of obstructing peace efforts. Since July 23, no face-to-face talks have been held between Russia and Ukraine.
President Trump has tried to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but the Kremlin has said such a summit can only be held in Moscow, a condition Zelensky has rejected. He has repeatedly stated that he does not believe Putin is serious about pursuing peace.
Peskov said the Kiev side did not want to continue dialogue.
“They are encouraged in every way by Europeans who believe that Ukraine can win the war and guarantee its interests through military means,” he declared.
He said this was a serious delusion, considering the situation on the front.
As the war approaches the end of its fourth year, Russia holds about 19% of Ukraine’s territory and is working to capture the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.
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