Moscow appreciates the US efforts to mediate an end to the hostilities, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

US Vice President J.D. Vance's call for Russia and Ukraine to accept a Washington-formulated truce is not being viewed as an ultimatum by Moscow, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

On Wednesday, Vance said that President Donald Trump's administration had presented a "very explicit proposal" to the principal parties in the Ukraine conflict, stating, "It's time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process." In a press conference the same day, Peskov dismissed a journalist's characterization of Vance's comments as an ultimatum from Washington.

"The US continues its mediation efforts, and we certainly welcome them," he said. "Nuanced discussions of proposals for a resolution are essential to bridge differences."

The Trump administration awaits responses from Ukraine and the European NATO members supporting Kiev about a roadmap toward a compromise peace deal that was shared with them last week. Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has already cast doubt on the feasibility of the proposal by publicly dismissing some of the suggestions reportedly made by US officials.

The American proposals that have been detailed in media reports include the formal recognition of Moscow's sovereignty over Crimea, the former Ukrainian region that voted to join Russia after the 2014 Western-backed armed coup in Kiev. On Tuesday, Zelensky reiterated that his government will never agree to that.

Russian officials have previously warned that Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year, could sabotage any serious attempts to de-escalate the conflict, contending that his self-interest compels him to continue the hostilities "to the last Ukrainian."

(RT.com)