Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said some progress on a peace settlement had already been made but that contacts with Washington were difficult. He said Russia was striving to resolve the conflict while ensuring its own interests. Moscow remained open to dialogue with the United States, he added.

Rubio’s remarks appear to reflect the president’s frustration with the difficulty of achieving peace in Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 full scale invasion.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Paris to meet Ukrainian and European leaders, expressed frustration at the lack of progress in peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.