(AFP) – The Kremlin said Thursday it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump’s calls for Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine, and that Moscow was ready for “mutually respectful” dialogue with him. The US leader had on Wednesday threatened fresh sanctions on Moscow if Russia did not strike a deal to end its nearly three-year campaign against Ukraine.
Expectations are high that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will soon hold a phone call to discuss the conflict, after the Republican pledged on the campaign trail to bring a swift end to the fighting. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was “ready for equal, mutually respectful dialogue.” “We are waiting for signals, which we have not yet received,” he added.
Trump has not said publicly how he sees the contours of a potential peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Putin has outlined maximalist demands that include the Ukrainian withdrawal from parts of its own territory still under Kyiv’s control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has meanwhile ruled out territorial concessions, though has said he would consider trying to secure the return of land captured by Russia through “diplomatic” means. Kyiv is also demanding security guarantees from NATO and the United States along with the deployment of Western, including American, peacekeeping troops.
– Sanctions threat – In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Wednesday told Putin to make a deal “now” and threatened “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Moscow. Trump said he was “not looking to hurt Russia” and had “always had a very good relationship with President Putin,” a leader for whom he has expressed admiration in the past. “All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” he said.
Asked about the comments on Thursday, Peskov said the Kremlin did not see anything “particularly new” in Trump’s threat of sanctions. He said it was clear from Trump’s first presidency that the American “liked” sanctions, adding that Moscow was “closely following” all of his statements. The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed the barrage of Western sanctions that it has been hit with since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
The Russian economy has largely defied Western hopes the restrictions would push it into economic collapse. Peskov on Thursday conceded that Russia faced economic “problems” — “as all countries” — but said Russia had the resources to meet “all military requirements.” Russia’s troops have been advancing on the battlefield in recent months, while both Moscow and Kyiv have increased their aerial attacks deep behind the frontlines. Moscow’s army on Thursday claimed to have captured another small settlement in the eastern Donetsk region, which Russia annexed in 2022.
© 2024 AFP
