MOSCOW, April 8 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed a two-week ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran, and said Russia hopes that the U.S. will now have the time and scope to
Russia Hopes Iran Ceasefire Leads to Renewed US-Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks
Kremlin Response to Iran Ceasefire and Implications for Ukraine Peace Talks
Ceasefire Agreement Between the United States and Iran
MOSCOW, April 8 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed a two-week ceasefire agreed between the United States and Iran, and said Russia hopes that the U.S. will now have the time and scope to resume three-way peace talks on Ukraine.
Kremlin's Official Statement
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We received the news of a truce with satisfaction. We welcome the decision not to proceed further down the path of armed escalation."
Potential Impact on Ukraine Peace Talks
Asked about whether the Iran ceasefire may facilitate fresh talks on Ukraine, Peskov said: "We hope that, in the foreseeable future, (the U.S.) will have more time and greater opportunity to meet in a trilateral format," referring to talks held between Russia, Ukraine and the U.S.
Background: Suspension of Ukraine Peace Talks
Russia had previously said that Ukraine peace talks had been paused after the outbreak of hostilities in Iran.
History of Negotiations
Previous Rounds of Talks
Negotiations began last year in Istanbul and three-way talks with the U.S. were held at the start of this year in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
Stalemate Over Territorial Disputes
But progress has been slow, in large part because of an impasse over territory. Russia demands that Ukraine give up the remainder of its Donbas region but Kyiv refuses to surrender land that Moscow's forces have failed to capture in more than four years of war.
Reporting and Editorial Credits
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Writing by Felix Light,Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
