MOSCOW, Apr 18: The Kremlin said on Friday that some progress had already been made in talks about a possible peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine but that contacts were rather complicated with the United States.
"Contacts are quite complicated, because, naturally, the topic is not an easy one," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this."
US President Donald Trump will walk away from trying to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless there are clear signs that a deal can be done, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
Asked if the United States could withdraw from the search for a peace settlement in Ukraine, Peskov said that was a question for Washington.
"We believe that some progress can already be noted," Peskov said, citing a temporary moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, though he said Ukraine had not adhered to it.
"Therefore, certain developments have already been achieved, but, of course, there are still many complex discussions ahead."
Peskov, when asked if the energy moratorium was over, said that it had already been a month but that no orders from the president had been received to change Russia's position.
One of the few commitments Trump had wrangled from Putin -- a temporary moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure -- "expired" on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to an AFP question.
"As of this time, there have been no other instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Putin," Peskov told reporters.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump will walk away from efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless there are clear signs that a deal can be done, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
"We're not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end. So we need to determine very quickly now, and I'm talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks," Rubio said in Paris after meeting European and Ukrainian leaders.
"If it's not possible, if we're so far apart that this is not going to happen, then I think the president is probably at a point where he's going to say, 'well, we're done'."
Three European diplomatic sources told Reuters Rubio's comments, which coincided with signs of some progress in US talks with Ukraine, reflected growing frustration in the White House over Russian intransigence to end the war.
Trump said on Thursday he expected to sign a minerals deal with Kyiv next week after an attempt in February fell apart following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Oval Office clash with Vice President JD Vance and Trump. �"Agencies
