Kremlin denies that Russia-U.S. efforts to end Ukraine war are exhausted

MOSCOW — Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that efforts by Russia and the United States to end the conflict in Ukraine were still alive, state news agency TASS reported, appearing to contradict remarks from a top Russian diplomat a day earlier.

On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the momentum from an Aug. 15 summit in Anchorage, Alaska, between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump “has been largely exhausted,” accusing Ukraine’s European allies of torpedoing peace efforts.

But Ushakov was quoted as saying: “Claims that the Anchorage momentum is fading, or that the momentum has been exhausted, are completely incorrect. We continue to work with the Americans based on what was agreed upon between the presidents in Anchorage.”

The Trump-Putin summit failed to produce any breakthrough to end the war, which has been grinding on for more than three and a half years, and Trump in recent weeks has been increasingly critical of Putin.

Moscow is keen to stress that it remains open to a diplomatic settlement but says it will press on to achieve its goals militarily if no peace deal can be agreed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said repeatedly that he does not believe Putin is genuine about seeking peace, accusing him of stalling negotiations in order to carry on fighting.