Russia signals priority on peace deal over ceasefire in Ukraine conflict

Moscow has not yet held discussions with Washington regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent statement on his readiness to hold elections,  the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“We haven’t had the chance to discuss it with anyone. The statement is quite new. This is something President Putin has spoken about for a long time and something President Trump spoke about relatively recently. We will see how events develop,” Peskov told local media, Caliber.Az reports.

He stressed that Russia is pursuing peace, not merely a ceasefire, in Ukraine.

“We are working on peace, not on a ceasefire. A stable, guaranteed long-term peace, achieved through the signing of appropriate documents, is an absolute priority,” the spokesperson emphasized.

Peskov also noted that the Kremlin has closely studied Trump’s interview with Politico, particularly the sections addressing Russia and prospects for a Ukrainian settlement.

To recall, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told two Italian newspapers that he is “always ready for elections,” responding to US President Donald Trump’s assertion that he was leveraging the war with Russia to postpone polls.

Speaking to la Repubblica and Il Messaggero ahead of his talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Zelenskyy stated, “I’m always ready for elections,” directly addressing Trump’s comments.

In an interview with Politico, the US president accused Kyiv of "using war" to avoid elections which have been postponed under the imposition of martial law since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"I think it's an important time to hold an election. They’re using war not to hold an election, but I would think the Ukrainian people would... should have that choice," Trump said.

"You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore."

Without martial law, a Ukrainian presidential election would have been due in March 2024.

By Vafa Guliyeva