The Kremlin on Wednesday said that efforts to improve Russia-US relations are unlikely to yield “quick results”, despite a series of calls between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “There are many obstacles in bilateral relations, and it is unlikely that we can hope for any quick results.”Apart from phone calls, Putin has met with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff several times in Moscow, and top diplomats have held talks in Saudi Arabia. Lower-level delegations have also held talks in Istanbul to discuss enhancing the operations of their respective embassies.Talks are set to continue in Moscow and Washington, said Russia’s ambassador to the US, as reported by the news agency TASS. Trump has unsettled Europe by seeking closer ties with Moscow, a sharp shift from Washington’s effort to isolate Putin for the past three years. Meanwhile, US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth has stated before a congressional subcommittee that the US is set to reduce its military aid to Ukraine. Trump has voiced his inclination to bring an end to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and has urged the warring countries to strike a peace deal.In the latest offensive, Russian strikes have killed three people and wounded 60 others in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv. Russia has rejected calls for an unconditional ceasefire and has insisted that Ukraine surrender large areas of territory and forego its efforts to join Nato.