The Kremlin has said it wants the war in Ukraine to end “as soon as possible,” but claimed peace efforts have reached a deadlock.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks on Monday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump, who said after meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last week that he believed the war “will end in the not too distant future,” News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Peskov reiterated that Russia’s preferred outcome is to achieve its goals “by political and diplomatic means,” but blamed Ukraine for the current impasse.
“There is currently a pause — the situation is stalled, and not through our fault,” he said.
No direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have taken place since July 2023. According to Peskov, Ukraine has refused further dialogue and is being “egged on” by European partners who believe it can win militarily — a stance he called a “deep delusion.”
Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected Moscow’s claims, insisting that it is Russia’s aggression that blocks peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out meeting Vladimir Putin, saying he does not believe the Russian leader is serious about ending the war.
As the conflict nears its fourth year, Russian forces currently control around 19% of Ukrainian territory and continue to press offensives near Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.