Russia-Ukraine War Talks Continue Amid Hopes and Setbacks

Iruni Kalupahana, Jadetimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war

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Image source: Aris Messinis

The end of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is uncertain, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday, and added that a lot of challenges need to be overcome prior to signing a peace accord. During a press conference, Peskov explained again that Russian President Vladimir Putin prefers a cease-fire and a peaceful solution, but pointed out that fundamentals must be agreed on first.

Peskov's remarks came when U.S. President Donald Trump was approaching his 100th day in office. Trump had promised during his 2024 campaign to bring an end to the war shortly, at times saying he would be able to make a deal in 24 hours. But his special representative for Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, subsequently had a more flexible deadline of completing peace within Trump's initial 100 days.

Last week, Trump said that Russia and Ukraine are "very close to a deal." But Peskov said the situation is too complex to be resolved instantly. "Washington may wish for rapid success, but this war cannot be resolved overnight," he added.

Among the key points of disagreement is Ukraine's engagement with NATO, which was something Russia had been griping about before its war campaign in 2022. Putin maintains that the objectives of his war are based on protecting Russian national interests, and Peskov reiterated that Russia had initially sought diplomatic avenues before resorting to war.

Trump also surmised that Putin might be dragging out the talks, saying in an interview last week that the Russian president might be "tapping me along." Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both cautioned that U.S. facilitation could come to a standstill if there was not clear momentum forward.

And controversy has also arisen between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, such as whether or not Ukraine might consider giving land to Russia. Cease-fire offers remain at issue as well. A 30-day cease-fire supported by the U.S. remains outstanding for full agreement from Putin, despite both sides showing willingness in a short-term truce to protect energy facilities.

Putin has newly declared a 30 hours Easter cease fire and also a three days cease fire on May 8-10. But Ukrainian authorities expressed that attacks continued during the recent cease fire and have refused to implement the truce on the next occasion. Zelenskyy countered by condemning the short conditions of such a proposal, calling instead for a complete, unconditional 30 days cease fire as an initial step towards sincere diplomacy.

Despite ongoing negotiations and temporary ceasefires, an overall peace agreement continues to evade both parties, who hold fast to entrenched positions on core demands. The world watches anxiously, awaiting developments in the months ahead.