Russia : after Trump dispute, Kremlin claims Zelensky is against peace efforts

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not genuinely seeking peace, as evidenced by the recent tense interaction between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Kremlin on Monday accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of rejecting peace efforts following his public clash with U.S. President Donald Trump.

In remarks to the press, Peskov indicated that the collaborative efforts of Moscow and Washington would fall short of achieving a peace agreement, suggesting that Zelenskyy prefers to prolong the conflict in Ukraine.

"He doesn't want peace. Someone should make him want peace. If the Europeans do it, all kudos to them," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He emphasized that significant efforts from European nations would be necessary to mend Ukraine's ties with the U.S. following the public disagreement in the Oval Office.

"Someone will have to make sizable efforts in dialogue with Washington in order to somehow cancel out the unpleasant residue that undoubtedly remains in the White House after talking to Zelensky."

Peskov further remarked that convincing Zelenskyy to pursue peace would be essential, and he criticized the Ukraine summit held in the UK on Sunday, stating that its purpose was not to foster peace but rather to perpetuate the fighting.

Meanwhile, Russia is continuing its "special military operation" in Ukraine "to achieve the aims that it had from the start," Peskov added.

Now in its third year, the conflict in Ukraine began with the Russian invasion in 2022.

However, tensions in eastern Ukraine originated in 2014, following Ukraine's pivot towards the West and Russia's annexation of Crimea.