The Kremlin “took note” of President Trump’s accelerated deadline for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to make peace in Ukraine, but otherwise offered little reaction to the ultimatum.
Mr. Trump said on Monday that he would give Russia about 10 to 12 days to end the war before implementing new financial penalties against Moscow. That was a reduced timeline from the 50 days he specified on July 14. Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday that he would like to avoid making any assessments about Mr. Trump’s remarks.
“We took note of President Trump’s statement yesterday,” he said. “The Special Military Operation is ongoing, and we remain committed to the peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and ensure our interests in the course of this settlement.”
The “Special Military Operation” is the Kremlin’s chosen term for Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Mr. Peskov also said that progress in resolving bilateral issues with the United States had now slowed. He said Russia remained interested in the process but said that to move forward, “impulses are needed from both sides.”
Russian negotiators met in Istanbul with Ukrainian counterparts last week for the third round of direct talks since Mr. Trump returned to the White House. The talks have made little progress toward ending the war. Critics have accused Mr. Putin of dragging out the process while his troops advance on the battlefield.
Paul Sonne is an international correspondent, focusing on Russia and the varied impacts of President Vladimir V. Putin’s domestic and foreign policies, with a focus on the war against Ukraine.
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