Russia, US actively discussing Ukraine settlement: Kremlin aide

Moscow, A top Kremlin aide on Sunday said that the conclusions of the Alaska summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump were communicated to Kiev, adding that Moscow is maintaining contacts with Washington on the issue.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia is actively maintaining contacts with the US to seek peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis on the basis of understandings reached during the Alaska summit between Putin and Trump on August 15, according to state-run news agency TASS.

The two leaders had not reached a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict on August 15.


"We are actively discussing a Ukrainian settlement based on the understandings reached in Anchorage. We believe this is a truly good path to achieving a peaceful settlement," Ushakov said while speaking with State TV.

"The Anchorage understanding was brought to the notice of the Kiev side. Kiev is aware of that," Ushakov said.

"They do not like it. Many Europeans, but not all of them, do not like Anchorage," Ushakov said. "In other words, Anchorage is not favored by those who do not want peaceful settlement but want to fight to the last Ukrainian," the presidential aide stressed.

TASS said that Ushakov also pointed out that the United States itself has not officially stated that the agreements reached in Anchorage are null and void.

"There were many comments, and naturally, these comments arise as the situation develops, as various negotiations take place, including with the Europeans and the Ukrainians," he said. "There are many signals, some we like, some we don't like, but the basis for everything is Anchorage."

There have been unsuccessful efforts for a summit between Putin and Trump, as a follow up of the talks between the two leaders at Anchorage in Alaska on August 15.

According to earlier reports, believed to have been leaked in Western media, Trump had agreed to recognise Crimea annexed by Moscow after a Washington and European Union (EU) sponsored coup in Kiev as an integral part of Russia.

Kiev was required to withdraw from ethnic Russian populated Donbas in the east controlled by the Russian Army.

Later, after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Trump said Ukraine is capable of taking back all the lost territories including the Crimea peninsula with the help of the EU.