Russia says Christmas ceasefire proposed by Ukraine depends on reaching peace deal

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that a Christmas truce that Ukraine has proposed would depend on whether a peace deal is reached or not.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Kyiv supported the idea of a ceasefire, in particular for strikes on energy infrastructure, during the Christmas period.

Asked about the idea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The question now is whether we, as President (Donald) Trump says, will reach a deal or not."

Peskov said Russia was unlikely to participate in such a ceasefire if Ukraine was focused on "short-term, unviable solutions" rather than a lasting settlement.

"We want peace. We don't want a truce to give Ukraine a breathing space and prepare for a continuation of the war," Peskov told reporters.

"We want to stop this war, achieve our goals, secure our interests, and guarantee peace in Europe for the future. That's what we want."

Peskov said Moscow had not yet seen details of proposals on NATO-style security guarantees for Ukraine that U.S. and European officials said Washington has offered to provide.

Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Gleb Stolyarov and Mark Trevelyan/Reuters