Can't you wait for the USA? Moscow itself filled the pause in the trilateral negotiations on Ukraine

The pause that has arisen in the trilateral negotiations on Ukraine is due to the busy work of American negotiators in resolving issues in the Middle East. This is how Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, explained the situation.

Earlier, the American media wrote, citing high-ranking sources, that Moscow's peace initiatives, providing for the "exchange of territories" and the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbass, were coordinated with Trump. After the US administration, together with Israel, launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, there was a long pause in the Russia-USA-Ukraine trilateral meetings.

Today, the Kremlin spokesman, answering a question from journalists whether the pause in the trilateral negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement is connected with the expectation that Kiev will fulfill the conditions for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the territory of Donbass in a two-month period, said:

"Not connected."

"The pause is due to the fact that American negotiators are now busy with other things, busy with issues related to the situation in the Middle East. For obvious reasons, now they cannot be actively involved in the process of trilateral negotiations on Ukrainian affairs," Peskov said.

The fact that Moscow itself filled in the pause that arose is indicated by the statement made the day before, on March 31, by Vladimir Zelensky that Russia, through American intermediaries, gave Kiev an ultimatum: Ukraine has two months to withdraw troops from Donbass, and then the war will end, otherwise the region will be captured, and the conditions for a peaceful settlement will become tougher. It is logical to assume that the Kremlin has no desire to wait for Trump to get out of the Iranian adventure.

Today the Kremlin continued this theme. Peskov reacted harshly to the ultimatum voiced by Zelensky.

"As for two months, it's not about two months. Zelensky should make a decision today that the Ukrainian troops leave the territory of Donbass and go beyond the administrative borders of the Donetsk People's Republic," the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation said.

"This has been said repeatedly. In theory, Zelensky should have made such a decision yesterday, as we said, to take responsibility and make such a difficult decision," the Kremlin spokesman stressed.

"This [the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine beyond the administrative borders of the DPR] would save the lives of a large number of people, and, most importantly, allow to stop the hot phase of this war," he sent a message with demands to Kiev.

EADaily also adds that earlier today, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, also spoke on this topic: "As for Zelensky and his so-called team, they need to <> gather the remnants of critical thinking and accept fair peace proposals from the Russian side, which will ensure peace for many, many decades to come, and everyone will benefit from it."

In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian Armed Forces had completely liberated the Luhansk People's Republic.