Russia: Ukraine peace talks show progress despite complicated U.S. relations

The Kremlin said Friday that some progress has been made in peace talks over Ukraine, but described communication with the U.S. as complicated. Moscow cited a pause in energy strikes, though it claims Ukraine hasn’t fully observed the agreement.

The Kremlin stated on Friday that some progress has been made in discussions aimed at reaching a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, though it acknowledged that communication with the United States remains difficult.

"Contacts are quite complicated, because the issue itself is not a simple one", Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He emphasized that Russia remains open to dialogue and is committed to pursuing a resolution to the conflict that safeguards its national interests. "We continue our efforts",  Peskov added.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that President Donald Trump is prepared to abandon U.S. efforts to help broker a peace deal unless there are concrete signs of potential progress in the coming days.

When asked whether a potential U.S. withdrawal from peace efforts would affect the negotiations, Peskov responded that it was a matter for Washington to decide.

Still, he noted what he described as some early progress in the peace process, specifically pointing to a temporary halt in strikes on energy infrastructure though he claimed Ukraine had not fully complied with the arrangement.

"There have been some developments already", Peskov said, "but of course, many difficult discussions lie ahead".

Regarding the status of the temporary moratorium on energy-related attacks, Peskov said it had been in place for about a month, and that no directive had been issued by President Vladimir Putin to alter Russia’s current position.

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