Kremlin says US wrong to think escalation of Ukrainian strikes can help end war

MOSCOW, July 9 - Russia said on Thursday the United States was wrong to believe deep Ukrainian strikes into Russian territory could help bring about an end to more than four years of war, and warned that they could prolong it.

Speaking at a NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia was finding it harder to defend its own skies, adding that this would hopefully create more space to negotiate an end to the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump said: "It's an escalation, but it's also an escalation that can help lead to an end."

Asked about their statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there were "certain misconceptions within the White House administration... regarding the idea that escalation and military pressure can help pave the way for a peaceful settlement."

He said this was a flawed premise, adding that what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine might go on for longer as a result.

"It will result in our having to establish a larger security zone — a larger buffer zone," Peskov said. "Consequently, stoking tensions and taking actions that drive escalation will in no way contribute to the peace process."

PUTIN'S POSITION

Three sources close to the Kremlin have told Reuters that President Vladimir Putin is rejecting calls to negotiate peace with Kyiv, and that Ukraine's recent drone strikes on Russia's oil refineries and ports have strengthened his resolve to keep fighting for now.

Two of the sources said Putin was instead likely to escalate the conflict. One of them, who meets regularly with the president, described a "high probability" of escalation in the coming months.

Asked about Trump's decision to allow Ukraine to make Patriot air defence interceptors under licence, Peskov said Moscow was under no illusion about U.S. weapons supplies to Kyiv.

"We do not view the situation through rose-tinted glasses, and President Putin is fully aware of this. At the same time, there is a certain duality in the U.S. position: unlike the Europeans, the United States maintains a desire to facilitate a move toward a peace process. They may be mistaken or wrong at times, but that desire strikes us as sincere."

Trump's efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine have stalled in recent months as Washington has focused on the war with Iran, but Peskov reiterated that the Kremlin hoped U.S. mediation would resume once the Middle East crisis was resolved. REUTERS