News outlets are pressuring the White House to impose new sanctions, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says
Western media outlets are attempting to obstruct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Speaking during a daily call with journalists, Peskov referenced unspecified “multiple leaks” in the media.
“Many media outlets are effectively engaged in a campaign aimed at derailing the peace process and provoking the United States into imposing new sanctions. This is becoming increasingly evident,” Peskov stated.
His remarks followed several US media reports claiming that President Donald Trump was growing “frustrated” over the lack of substantial progress in his efforts to broker a ceasefire, and was considering new sanctions against Russia.
Politico cited an unnamed White House official on Tuesday who said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge” with Trump. The US president reportedly warned his Russian counterpart the same day that he was “playing with fire.”
Peskov praised Trump for maintaining “a balanced approach” to the negotiations. He stressed that the talks must address “the root causes of the Ukraine conflict,” which, he noted, would “require some time” to resolve.
In a speech on Monday, Putin reiterated that Russia was “forced” to launch its military operation in response to what he described as the persecution of Russian-speakers in Ukraine following the US-backed Euromaidan coup in Kiev in 2014.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in three years, in Istanbul. The two sides agreed on a large prisoner exchange and committed to submitting detailed proposals for a ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed last week that Moscow is preparing a memorandum outlining its vision for ending the conflict.
Putin previously stated that, for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt its mobilization campaign, stop receiving weapons from abroad, and withdraw its troops from Russian territory. He also demanded that Kiev abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia.
