Kremlin Supports U.S. Mediation Efforts in Ukraine

(MENAFN) Russia signaled on Thursday that it wants Washington to remain engaged in efforts to broker a resolution to the war in Ukraine, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voicing strong appreciation for American mediation during a press briefing in Moscow.

"We expect that Washington will continue these good-faith services, the services of those who facilitate the negotiation process. We highly value these services, and I hope the process will continue," Peskov said.

The spokesman acknowledged that U.S. negotiators are currently occupied with other pressing matters on the international stage, but stressed that Moscow's door remains open.

"We are open to continuing the negotiation process. For obvious reasons, American negotiators are currently focusing on other issues; the Iranian topic is, of course, a priority for them. That is a process where America is a direct participant, not a mediator," Peskov noted.

When pressed on reports of a potential visit to the United States by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Peskov said he had no insight into the objectives of any prospective meeting between Umerov and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

"We expect the process to continue," Peskov said, pointing to the broader prospects for renewed Ukraine settlement talks.

Peskov also confirmed that Russia's ceasefire, declared in honor of Victory Day commemorations, would hold across both days of the holiday.

"Yes, we are talking about the 8th and 9th, about May 8 and 9," he said when asked to clarify the ceasefire window.

Poland's Military Ambitions Draw Kremlin Fire
Shifting to Warsaw's ambitions to construct what it has described as the largest army in Europe, Peskov cautioned that the drive toward militarization would exact a heavy toll on ordinary Polish citizens.

"As for the process of militarization that follows these statements, of course, it is expensive financially. The country's population will have to dig deep, because all this militarization will be carried out at the expense of its citizens, in this case at the expense of Polish citizens," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov further noted that Poland and several other European nations have openly cast Russia as their foremost security threat — a characterization Moscow flatly rejects.

"Poland, like a number of other European states, openly positions Russia as its main threat. We categorically reject this. We find such an attitude toward our country unacceptable and say the opposite," he said.

The spokesman warned that such posturing risks deepening hostilities and ratcheting up tensions across the continent.

Kremlin Dismisses Assassination Plot Allegations
On reports in foreign media alleging Russian involvement in assassination attempts targeting political emigrants abroad, Peskov brushed aside the accusations as entirely without merit.

"The Kremlin does not consider it necessary to comment on strange, completely unfounded publications," he said, arguing that Russia was being prejudged before relevant investigations had run their course.

Peskov stressed that inquiries were still active in the countries concerned, yet Moscow was already being assigned blame — a pattern he found deeply troubling.

"Recently, a huge amount of very strange information has been published, which is based on nothing, which contains no argumentation, no evidence, which is generally far from reason, but each such piece of information contains an accusation against our country," he added.

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