The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it had “taken note” of a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump that he was shortening his deadline for Moscow to sign up to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face sanctions.
Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with President Vladimir Putin over the 3-1/2-year-old conflict.
Asked about Trump’s statement on Tuesday during a conference call with reporters, the Kremlin kept its remarks short.
“We have taken note of President Trump’s statement yesterday. The special military operation continues,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, employing the term that Moscow uses for its war effort in Ukraine.
“We remain committed to a peace process to resolve the conflict around Ukraine and to ensure our interests in the course of this settlement.”
Trump threatened on July 14 to impose new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports within 50 days, a deadline which would have expired in early September.
But on Monday, during a visit to Britain, he shortened that deadline and said:
“There’s no reason in waiting… We just don’t see any progress being made.”
Trump, who has held half a dozen calls with the Kremlin leader since returning to the White House in January, also said he was “not so interested in talking any more.”
Peskov declined to comment on that remark.
–Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan and Anastasia TeterevlevaEditing by Andrew Osborn