No concrete details on end of Ukraine war, says Kremlin

The Kremlin on Tuesday refrained from discussing the “specific details” of the process leading to peace between Russia and Ukraine, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks on Saturday about an “imminent” end to the war.

“All the progress made in terms of peace processes allows us to truly say that the end is approaching. However, in this context, it is not possible at this time to go into specific details,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily briefing.

He was asked about President Vladimir Putin’s comments on Saturday, where he surprised many by stating that the conflict in Ukraine was “approaching its end” during a press conference on the day of Soviet victory celebrations over Nazi Germany.

The Russian leader did not elaborate on this comment, which was accompanied by criticism of Western support for Kyiv.

“The president said that Russia remains open to contact and that work has been done in a trilateral format. He said he will welcome efforts from the United States,” Mr. Peskov stated.

Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, mediated by the United States, have been on hold since the conflict erupted in late February.

President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia on Friday, which both sides accused each other of violating.

Moscow said it resumed its offensive after the end of this truce, which expired at midnight local time on Tuesday (9:00 PM GMT Monday).

“It can stop at any moment as soon as the Kyiv regime fulfills its responsibilities and makes the necessary decision,” Mr. Peskov said, asserting that Kiev “knows very well what decisions are necessary.”

The Russian government demands territorial concessions from the Ukrainian government, including a complete withdrawal from the eastern region of Donbass, partially controlled by Moscow. These demands have been rejected by Kyiv, likening them to a surrender.

The large-scale offensive that began in February 2022 has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, making it the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.