Russia Blames Kyiv and Europe for Stalled Ukrainian Peace Process
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday that the pause in resolving the Ukrainian conflict results from Kyiv's reluctance to pursue political and diplomatic solutions. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov accused the European Union of encouraging Ukraine to continue fighting.
"The main thing that is currently slowing down the settlement process is the pause that has arisen due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to follow the path of a political and diplomatic settlement, and due to the provocation of the Kyiv regime by the Europeans to continue further hostilities."
Regarding US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's comments about the lack of trust between Russia and Ukraine, Peskov confirmed the state of affairs.
"Of course, we cannot talk about any kind of mutual trust now. This is not a deficit of trust, but its absence."
Peskov refrained from commenting on US President Donald Trump's recent statement claiming he ended eight armed conflicts this year and hopes to add the Ukrainian conflict to his list of successes, asserting that Washington has made significant progress.
On the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Putin and Trump, Peskov noted it is likely to be desirable for both sides at some point, but such a meeting requires thorough preparatory work.
Summary
The Kremlin blames Ukraine's resistance and European provocation for the stalled peace process, highlighting a complete lack of trust between Russia and Ukraine amid diplomatic tensions.
Would you like the summary to be more formal or conversational?