MOSCOW, Sept. 25– The Kremlin believes Washington still retains the political will to advance peaceful settlement efforts in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
Peskov said that statements from Washington about possible consequences for Russia if it fails to engage in good-faith negotiations did not contradict the United States’ declared willingness to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
“We see different rhetoric coming out of Washington. For now, we assume that Washington retains political will, and that (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump maintains the political will to continue efforts toward a peaceful settlement in Ukraine,” Peskov said.
He added that Moscow supports these efforts and Russia remains open to joining peace talks. On Wednesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that it would be “very bad” for Russia if it refused to negotiate in good faith, adding that it is not a shift in position.
Trump earlier said at the United Nations General Assembly that if Russia is not ready to reach a peaceful agreement, the United States “is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs.” (Xinhua)
