The Kremlin on Monday (Mar 3) accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not wanting peace, blaming him for the clash with the US President Donald Trump at the White House last week.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the tense exchange between the two leaders at the Oval Office as “unprecedented”.

“He doesn’t want peace. Someone should make him want peace. If the Europeans do it, all kudos to them,” Peskov told reporters on Monday (Mar 3), calling the angry exchange “quite an unprecedented event.”

He further blamed Zelensky, saying that he “demonstrated a complete lack of diplomatic abilities. To put it mildly.”

Peskov added that President Vladimir Putin was aware of what happened, proving Russia’s view of the conflict correct.

He also suggested that European allies will have to soothe Trump following the spat.

“Someone will have to make sizable efforts in dialogue with Washington in order to somehow cancel out the unpleasant residue that undoubtedly remains in the White House after talking to Zelensky,” he said.

Peskov said that in the current situation, “clearly the efforts of Washington alone and the readiness of Moscow will not be enough.”

The Kremlin’s remarks come after Ukraine’s European allies held a defence summit in London on Sunday (Mar 2) as Zelensky seeks to work with Europe to set terms for a possible peace agreement.

‘Complex’ situation

Peskov described the situation as “complex”, adding that “the collective West has begun to partially lose its collective unity” on Ukraine.

“Although possible peace plans are being initially sketched out, it is not possible yet to say that there is a coherent peace plan,” he said.

Russia is continuing its “special military operation” in Ukraine “in order to achieve the aims that it had from the start,” Peskov said.

SOURCE: News Agencies