Kanyshai Butun
12 May 2026•Update: 12 May 2026
Kremlin’s spokesperson said Tuesday that the war in Ukraine could end at any moment as soon as Kyiv assumes “responsibility and makes the necessary decision.”
"Kyiv is well aware of the decisions that need to be made," Dmitry Peskov said during the briefing, according to the Kremlin.
He stressed that Russia continued its “special military operation,” after a three-day ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump, which expired at 2100GMT on Monday.
"The humanitarian ceasefire has ended, and the special military operation continues," he emphasized.
About a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peskov said that talks are possible not only in Moscow but "anywhere else.”
“It only makes sense to meet anywhere else if the (settlement) process is fully finalized," Peskov underlined. "And to finalize it, a lot of homework still needs to be done."
On Sunday, the Russian presidential aide, Yury Ushakov, said the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict will remain stuck in place even after dozens of rounds of negotiations if Ukraine does not withdraw its troops from Donbas.
Since the start of the conflict in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine have held numerous rounds of peace talks, including several mediated by the US in early 2026, but no breakthrough has been achieved due to fundamental disagreements over territory.
