Kremlin says it believes contacts with US over Ukraine will resume when Witkoff and Kushner become available

MOSCOW, June 24 - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were busy with other issues, but that it expected contacts with them over Ukraine would resume once they became available.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comment when asked if other envoys could be brought in for discussions on Ukraine while the pair were otherwise engaged. Witkoff and Kushner are part of the U.S. team negotiating a peace deal with Iran.

"We understand that contacts will continue," Peskov said. "Naturally, they are occupied with other matters right now, but at some point they will become available, and we are counting on further work."

He said Russia was grateful to the envoys for their efforts on Ukraine, which he described as "highly constructive. They are willing to listen to all sides — that is especially valuable right now."

The positive comments followed accusations from senior Russian officials earlier this week that the United States was failing to follow through on "understandings" reached between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at a summit in Alaska last August.

Russian officials regularly refer to the so-called "Spirit of Anchorage" - shorthand, say analysts, for what Moscow interpreted as a possible agreement that would see Ukraine's forces withdrawing from the remainder of Donbas they do not control in return for Moscow freezing the battle lines elsewhere. Kyiv has repeatedly made clear it will not hand over any of its territory to Russia without a fight. REUTERS