By Ryan Morgan
Contributing Writer
The end of the Russia-Ukraine war is not just around the corner, and negotiators still face several complexities, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin remains interested in a cease-fire and eventual peaceful settlement to the conflict, “but before doing this, it is necessary to answer a number of questions and resolve a whole series of nuances.”
Peskov offered these comments as U.S. President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office.
Trump made settling the ongoing war a focus point in his 2024 campaign, and at times on the campaign trail, suggested he could negotiate an end to the conflict within 24 hours of taking office.
In a January interview with Fox News, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg — Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine — offered a more relaxed goal to reach a deal within Trump’s first 100 days in office.
Last week, Trump said Russia and Ukraine are “very close to a deal.”
However, in his comments to reporters on Wednesday, Peskov suggested a deal will still take time to finalize.
“We understand that Washington is willing to achieve a quick success in this process, but at the same time, we hope for understanding that the settlement in [the] Ukrainian crisis is too complicated to be done overnight,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
The Kremlin has sought to bar Ukrainian entry into NATO and has raised concerns that Ukraine poses a continuing threat to Russian national interests. On Wednesday, Peskov said Putin had tried to resolve these concerns peacefully before launching Russian forces into Ukraine in 2022.
Peskov said the Russian president remains committed to his war goals and to preserving Russian national interests.
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly acknowledged the possibility that Putin may be dragging out the peace talks.
Sitting for an interview with ABC News to mark his 100th day in office, Trump again said Putin “could be tapping me along a little bit” on the peace process.
Earlier this month, Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio both warned that the United States could back away from its mediator role if it doesn’t see clear signs of progress toward an eventual peaceful settlement.
While he has recently acknowledged concerns about the Russian side slow-walking the negotiations, Trump also clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week over whether Ukraine should cede territory to Russia to help settle the conflict.
The Russian and Ukrainian leaders have also clashed over competing proposals for a temporary cease-fire.
Last month, Ukraine and Russia both expressed interest in a U.S.-backed proposal for a 30-day cease-fire, but Putin raised questions about its implementation and has yet to fully agree to the offer.
Russia and Ukraine both affirmed their support for a more limited 30-day moratorium barring strikes on each other’s energy facilities. Still, Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of continued violations of this limited truce.
Putin declared a 30-hour cease-fire to coincide with the Easter holiday, but the Ukrainian side alleged Russian attacks continued during this time.
On Monday, Putin unilaterally announced Russia would observe a three-day cease-fire from May 8 to May 10.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin said it was still waiting for a clear answer from the Ukrainian side on whether Kyiv would observe this temporary cease-fire.
Responding to Putin’s new three-day cease-fire pitch, Zelenskyy questioned why the Russian leader hadn’t accepted a U.S.-backed proposal for a 30-day cease-fire that was first offered in March.
“The cease-fire should not be just for a few days, only to return to killing afterward,” Zelenskyy said in a Monday address. “It must be immediate, full, and unconditional, for at least 30 days, to ensure it is secure and guaranteed. This is the foundation that could lead to real diplomacy.”
