The Kremlin remains willing to engage with the U.S. despite reports that President Donald Trump is "very angry" over Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest remarks on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on March 31.
The statement follows reports that Trump was "pissed off" over Putin's fixation on President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy, NBC News reported on March 30.
In a call with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, Trump said that Putin's latest demand for a transitional government in Ukraine to replace Zelensky suggests that peace talks are "not going in the right location."
Peskov downplayed the reports, claiming Trump's comments were paraphrased rather than direct quotes. He also reiterated that Putin remains open to dialogue with Washington.
"We are working on implementing some ideas related to the Ukrainian settlement. This work is underway. So far, there are no specifics that we could and should have informed you about," Peskov added, as pro-government outlet Interfax reported.
Moscow rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by the U.S. and Ukraine in Jeddah on March 11, demanding conditions that would weaken Kyiv's defenses, such as a halt to foreign military aid.
Although Washington mediated a partial ceasefire in March, Russia targeted energy infrastructure in Kherson on March 27, despite earlier claims that it was adhering to a moratorium on such strikes since March 18.
Trump has floated measures such as additional sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil but has yet to take concrete steps to pressure Moscow.
Instead, the U.S. president has largely focused his leverage on Ukraine and Zelensky, already cutting off U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing once.
