Russia on Tuesday said that it needed time to respond to US President Donald Trump’s ‘serious’ ultimatum regarding the Ukraine war, while expressing willingness to speak with the Ukrainian side over the timing of the third round of direct negotiations. Trump issued a 50-day deadline to Russia on Monday for reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine, expressing displeasure with Moscow, and outlined a NATO-backed military assistance plan for Kyiv, supported by alliance members, AFP reported.“President Trump’s statement is very serious. We certainly need time to analyse what was said in Washington,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, offering Moscow’s initial response.Trump cautioned that failure to reach an agreement would result in implementing stringent tariffs on Russia’s trading partners to restrict Moscow’s war-funding capabilities.The peace negotiations for resolving the conflict have reached an impasse in its fourth year.Peskov indicated Russia remained open to discussions, stating they “await proposals from the Ukrainian side regarding the timing of the third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations”.Two previous peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey have failed to achieve any significant progress.Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently dismissed requests for a ceasefire.Russian forces have deployed unprecedented numbers of drones and missiles against Ukraine, resulting in numerous civilian casualties recently.“We maintain our readiness,” Peskov stated, whilst suggesting Trump’s declaration might encourage Kyiv and impede peace efforts.“It seems that such a decision made in Washington and in Nato countries and directly in Brussels will be perceived by Kyiv not as a signal for peace but for the continuation of the war,” he stated.Ukraine has deemed further discussions with the current Russian delegation “pointless”, stating they lack authority for compromises and have presented unacceptable demands in previous meetings.
