Kremlin blames Kiev for dragging out pause in Ukraine settlement

MOSCOW. Oct 15 (Interfax) - The pause in Ukraine settlement has been prolonged not through Russia's fault, but due to the position of Kiev, which is pushed by Europe to continue military action, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

"President Putin has said repeatedly that he is open to shifting the entire process to the political and diplomatic sphere. There are problems with that now, and the problems are not our fault. There are problems because the Kiev regime is being provoked daily by the Europeans to continue the war," Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that he is disappointed with Vladimir Putin, who, according to him, does not want to end the hostilities.

"Here we, of course, are appreciative to the U.S. side, which has stated readiness to continue assisting peaceful settlement repeatedly on various levels," Peskov said.

Commenting on Trump's remark that further military action puts the Russian economy at risk of collapsing, Peskov said, "It [the Russian economy] has a sufficient and significant strength reserve for the country's leadership and all of us to implement the plans that we are setting ourselves."