While U.S. President Donald Trump may have achieved a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war, a similar breakthrough has not yet materialized in Ukraine, with Moscow shifting the responsibility for progress in peace negotiations to Kyiv. Specifically, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in comments published on June 29, 2025, that the pace of peace talks aimed at ending the war does not concern Russia but is instead the responsibility of the U.S. and Ukraine.
As expected, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, did not let Peskov’s remarks go unchallenged. The senior American official emphasized that “the statements made by the Russian presidential spokesperson are Orwellian.” He added, “Russian claims that the U.S. and Ukraine are delaying peace talks are baseless. President Trump has been consistent and adamant about making progress to end the war.”
Kellogg continued: “We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move toward trilateral talks to end the war. Russia cannot continue to stall for time while bombing civilians in Ukraine.”
In response, when asked on July 1, 2025, about whether Russia was obstructing peace talks, Peskov reiterated that Moscow has honored all agreements reached so far during negotiations. He also thanked Trump’s team for their contribution to facilitating discussions but stressed that Russia is not slowing down the process: “No one is delaying anything here.”