Russia: The US Needs To Announce Its Policy On Plans To End Ukraine's Conflict

Maria Zakharova. (Twitter/@EmbassyofRussia)

JAKARTA - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday the United States needed to formulate its policy to end the conflict in Ukraine, with Moscow could then base its own position on Washington's certain actions.

United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have not spoken by telephone since the inauguration of the White House Leader, according to public statements from officials on both sides.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had heard many words and statements from Washington about Ukraine, but for now there is no clarity on what the US actually imagined when trying to reach an agreement to end the conflict there.

"Regarding the role or possible role of the United States in resolving the crisis around Ukraine, once again: it will all depend on concrete actions and plans for a new government to be realized in the action," Zakharova told a news conference in Moscow.

"For now, there are many words and statements. (However,) there is no clarity about the steps taken (by the US), so it is still too early to discuss the prospects for negotiations or anything in this context," he continued.

"Regarding Washington, they may have to formulate their policies and we will continue on our own based on their concrete steps and actions," Zakharova said.

Earlier, President Trump and Special Envoys for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said they were working on a plan to broker an agreement to end the fighting in Ukraine, but had not disclosed complete details about what the plan would look like later.

Russia's state news agency RIA on Thursday quoted a senior lawmaker as saying preparations for a meeting between President Putin and President Trump were "on a further stage".