Kremlin sees duality from Washington on conflict

MOSCOW/KYIV — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Russia sees elements of duality in the US position on the Ukraine issue.

Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing that Russia — including President Vladimir Putin — is fully aware that the United States continues to supply weapons and military technology to Ukraine, and harbors no illusions on that front. At the same time, he said, Washington, unlike European countries involved in the conflict, has kept up its commitment to the peace process, which Moscow views as sincere and welcomes.

Peskov said the US administration has a mistaken belief that escalation and military pressure could help move the conflict toward a peaceful settlement, stressing that escalating tensions would in no way contribute to the peace process.

He added that the more Ukraine strikes Russian infrastructure, the larger the security zone and buffer zone Russia will have to establish.

Peskov also said US President Donald Trump, who had planned to speak with Putin, had "apparently been very busy after his meetings in Ankara" and therefore did not make the call as originally planned.

"President Putin is always open to dialogue," Peskov said.

He also said that Russia considers US statements suggesting that an escalation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure would help bring about a peaceful settlement as reflecting a "mistaken judgment".

His remarks came after US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the intensifying fighting between Russia and Ukraine during their visit to Ankara on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that Ukraine and the US have reached a political agreement on licenses for production of PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, adding that key supplies of the missiles were to arrive in the next few days.

The Patriot is a US-made air defense system. Its PAC-3 interceptor — short for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 — is one of the few Western weapons capable of shooting down the ballistic missiles Russia has increasingly fired at Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky, speaking to reporters after returning from the NATO summit, also said that talks were proceeding with the US on a "drone deal" or joint drone production.

"I believe this was a productive summit for Ukraine. In the coming days, we'll receive a package from the United States, and there were also some separate agreements," Zelensky said.

"We resolved this issue politically," he said of producing Patriot missiles for Ukraine.

Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on Friday that a turning point in the conflict with Russia was "still a long way off", despite hailing a string of recent successes.

XINHUA-AGENCIES