MOSCOW
The Kremlin agrees with US President Donald Trump’s statement that he gave Russia “nothing but grief,” Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists in Moscow, Peskov said: “If the US really decided to suspend military aid to Ukraine, this could encourage Kyiv to move towards a peace process.”
“Indeed, everyone remembers well that during Trump’s previous presidential term, many sanctions were introduced, and arms supplies to Ukraine began. This really happened. In this regard, one can only agree,” Peskov said, commenting on Trump’s recent remarks.
Trump said during an investment announcement in Washington that Putin is the one that “will tell you this has not been so good for them. The fact is that I just want fairness. I want fairness.”
“But think of it. I gave Russia nothing except grief. I gave them nothing. I gave them sanctions and Javelins. That’s what I gave them,” he said.
Peskov also stated that “the best contribution” the US could make toward peace would be to stop funding Ukraine.
He emphasized that Moscow welcomes any efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, including initiatives from neighboring Belarus.
According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko discuss the Ukraine issue at every personal meeting. He added that the two leaders recently held a phone call to discuss Lukashenko’s upcoming visit to Russia.
Normalization of Russia-US relations
Commenting on the normalization of Russia-US relations, Peskov said it should involve removing the burden of sanctions.
“Our stance on sanctions is well known; we consider them illegal,” Peskov stated. “Of course, if we are talking about normalizing bilateral relations, they should be freed from this negative burden of so-called sanctions.”
However, he noted that there are no indications of progress in this regard.
“It is probably too early to talk about any developments,” Peskov added. “We have not heard any official statements on this matter.”
Western nations have imposed extensive sanctions on Russia since its 2014 annexation of Crimea, tightening restrictions following Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2022.
Peskov’s statements come amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and increasing Western pressure on Moscow. Trump has repeatedly questioned continued American support for Kyiv.
