Putin supports Ukraine cease-fire, but conditions remain: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin supports a cease-fire in Ukraine, but numerous factors must be addressed before taking this step, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

In a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov talked about media reports, claiming that advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump advised him not to call Putin until Moscow agreed to a complete cease-fire.

Peskov dismissed the reports, saying: “A lot of different fakes, rumors, conjectures, and outright lies are being published in the media.”

“President Putin supported the idea of a ceasefire. At the same time, he noted that many nuances must be understood before taking this step. We are maintaining our contacts and discussing these nuances,” he said.

The spokesman also denied media reports that Putin and Trump would be speaking on the phone soon, saying no contacts are planned in the coming days.

Peskov added that the issues of strategic stability and arms control have yet to be discussed in the ongoing dialogue between Russia and the U.S.

“Although strategic stability and arms control should, in general, be a high priority on the agenda, we have not reached this stage yet,” he remarked, noting that the two nations are taking “the first cautious steps toward creating a favorable atmosphere” for discussing armaments.

Regarding possible security guarantees for Ukraine, Peskov described the topic as “very difficult,” emphasizing that it is still being negotiated and that specific parameters for such guarantees are currently impossible to define.

Concerning Russia’s special envoy for foreign investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev’s two-day visit to the U.S. on Wednesday and Thursday, the Kremlin spokesman said: “The work is ongoing” and that, so far, “cautious optimism” can be expressed about its progress.