Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaid Wednesday that Ukraine should engage directly with Moscow on peace negotiations rather than rely on United States mediation.America is trying to mediate, and were grateful to the United States for these truly intense efforts, Peskov told reporters.[But] a peace agreement should be signed with Ukraine, not with America.Peskovsuggested that ending the war according to Washingtons exceedingly short timeline would be too complicated, with many issues and details still to be resolved before settlement.President Putins mission is to achieve the goals he set when he began the special military operation.
We must safeguard our national interests, he said.
We dont hear any reaction from Kyiv.
The process continues.United States President Donald Trump had previously vowed to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office, but his push for peace in Ukraine has so far produced few results.On Tuesday, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Washington could drop its mediation efforts unless both Russia and Ukraine offer concrete proposals.On Monday, Putin announced a 72-hour ceasefire next week to coincide with Russias Victory Day celebrations, a plan Kyiv has dismissed as a symbolic gesture aimed at buying time on the battlefield.
Earlier, the Kremlin leader rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States and supported by Ukraine.Kremlin officialshavearguedthat Kyiv must undertake efforts toward resuming peace negotiations with Moscow, adding that they [in Ukraine] have a legal ban on negotiations, a reference to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys2022decreethat rules direct talks with Russia impossible as long as Putin remains in power.However,Zelensky said in February that he wasready for direct talks with Russia once Kyiv reached a common stance with its Western allies on how to end the war.Trump alsocalled for direct talks between Zelensky and Putin, though the Russian presidentruled out speaking directly with his Ukrainian counterpart in January over concerns about his legitimacy.