Kremlin Denies Russia's Accusations Of Raising Time In Ukraine Peace Talks

JAKARTA - The Kremlin on Tuesday denied claims by US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Russia bought time in peace negotiations, insisting Moscow had fulfilled all the deals reached so far in negotiations.

Trump's senior envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said on Monday, "Russia cannot continue to buy time while they are bombing civilian targets in Ukraine."

When asked about the statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was grateful to President Trump's team for helping facilitate negotiations, but Moscow did not buy time for negotiations.

"No one is delaying anything here," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

"We certainly support the achievement of the goals we want to achieve through special military operations through political and diplomatic means. Therefore, we are not interested in delaying anything," he said.

However, Peskov noted that the date of the third round of negotiations still needed to be agreed upon.

Previously Peskov said Russia's position regarding conflict resolution in Ukraine was clear, with the progress of negotiations mostly dependent on Kyiv's behavior and US mediation efforts.

"Of course, many things will depend on the position of the Kiev regime and how effectively Washington continues its mediation efforts," Belarus's First Information television channel quoted a statement on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) event in Minsk.

"In addition, there is a situation on the ground, which cannot be ignored and must be taken into account. This is an element of an overview. It is difficult and complicated, but it depends on them," he said.

Russia is known to have launched a special military operation on Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022. Negotiations between the two countries were carried out in March 2022 in Belarus and Turkey, but no agreement has yet been reached.

In April, US President Steve Witkoff's special envoy was found to have met President Putin twice.

This year, the two countries have held two rounds of live negotiations, the first at the Dolmabache Palace on May 16 and the second at the Ciragan Palace on June 2, both in Istanbul, Turkey, to end the war between the two countries.

After negotiations earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine agreed to hold the next round of negotiations. Peskov said Moscow hoped the next round date could be agreed soon.

When asked if there was a new meeting that had been scheduled, he replied, "No, no."

"We are waiting for the third round of negotiations. We hope to get clarity about the date in a few days," Peskov said.

Last week, President Putin said Russia was continuing the rounds of negotiations with Ukraine.

President Putin said there was a big difference between the proposals submitted by both parties at the previous talks.

However, President Putin said hope of a sustainable dialogue would help narrow the gap, while negotiators of both sides continued to communicate.