The Kremlin has publicly agreed with Washington's assessment that the Ukraine war is stuck in a stalemate, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov endorsing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's description of the conflict while insisting that Russia will only accept a comprehensive, long-term settlement — not a limited ceasefire, Reuters reported on Thursday. The remarks came on the sidelines of a meeting of leaders of ex-Soviet states in Turkmenistan.
"Yes, we agree with him," Russian news agencies quoted Peskov as saying when asked about Rubio's assessment. It is a rare moment of rhetorical convergence between Moscow and the Trump administration, and it lands at a moment when diplomacy around the war appears to be stirring on several fronts at once.
Table of Contents
- "The art of diplomacy precisely involves finding some way out"
- No three-way summit in sight
- Diplomatic wheels turning: Miami and Turkmenistan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
- Related from Chronicle
"The art of diplomacy precisely involves finding some way out"
Peskov told state news agency RIA that it was up to diplomats to find ways of moving toward peace, adding: "The art of diplomacy precisely involves finding some way out that would allow moving onto a peaceful track." It was a notably emollient formulation from a spokesman more often associated with defiance.
The substance, however, remains unmoved. Peskov restated the Kremlin's long-held position that Russia wants an overall solution to the conflict and has no interest in temporary measures such as a limited ceasefire. "We are not for a fragmented solution, we are for a comprehensive solution that will allow for sustainable settlement for many, many years, for decades," the agencies quoted him as saying.
That language — maximalist in scope, indefinite in timeline — is the same formula Moscow has used for years to reject ceasefire proposals that would freeze the front lines where they stand. Agreement on the word "stalemate" does not amount to agreement on what should happen next.
No three-way summit in sight
Peskov also poured cold water on the idea of a headline diplomatic breakthrough in the near term, saying he saw no immediate prospect for a three-way summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and US President Donald Trump.
Such a summit has been floated repeatedly as a possible vehicle for a settlement, but Moscow has consistently treated it as premature. Peskov's framing keeps the emphasis on groundwork rather than spectacle: a comprehensive agreement first, leaders' photo opportunities later — if at all.
Diplomatic wheels turning: Miami and Turkmenistan
The comments arrived as diplomatic traffic around the war picks up. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were due to meet Ukrainian representatives on Friday in Miami to discuss new ideas and try to produce a unified proposal for resolving the war, an American source familiar with the plan said, according to the Jerusalem Post, which carried the Reuters report.
The Turkmenistan venue itself was no coincidence: the same meeting of ex-Soviet leaders saw Putin offer to help end the war in Iran during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian — a reminder that Moscow is positioning itself as a broker across multiple crises simultaneously, as Chronicle reported.
Whether the shared "stalemate" diagnosis opens real diplomatic space is another question. Stalemate is a description of the battlefield, not a roadmap — and both sides have shown they can agree on the diagnosis while disagreeing entirely on the cure. The Miami talks will be the first test of whether this rhetorical convergence can produce anything more concrete.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Kremlin actually say?
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "yes, we agree with him" when asked about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's assessment that the Ukraine conflict is in a stalemate. He added that diplomacy must now find a way onto a peaceful track.
Does this mean Russia is ready for a ceasefire?
No. Peskov explicitly rejected temporary measures, saying Russia wants a comprehensive solution delivering a "sustainable settlement for many, many years, for decades" — not a limited or fragmented ceasefire.
Is a Putin–Zelenskiy–Trump summit planned?
Peskov said he saw no immediate prospect for a three-way summit between the Russian, Ukrainian and US leaders.
What is happening in Miami?
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were scheduled to meet Ukrainian representatives in Miami on Friday to discuss new ideas and try to produce a unified proposal for resolving the war.
