WASHINGTON, March 6. /TASS/. US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg has disagreed with the statement that Kiev is more committed to resolving the conflict in Ukraine than Moscow.
He made the comment at a Council on Foreign Relations event, when asked what pressure Washington plans to apply to a Russia that allegedly is less committed to reaching a peace deal.
"I challenge your notion about who's being more reasonable right now, because you look at what is happening, I don't see it the same way," Kellogg said.
According to the envoy, Moscow reached out to the new administration in Washington "fairly fast" on Ukraine settlement matters.
About the chance of adopting more measures against Russia, he said, "I don't think it's been done. I think the opportunity is there to do it, and that's going to be up to the president of the United States."
US President Donald Trump said at his first cabinet meeting on February 26 that his administration is determined to reach a deal with Moscow and Kiev to settle the conflict in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump spoke by phone on February 12, discussing such issues as the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, the US leader called for a swift end to hostilities and a peaceful solution to the problem. Putin highlighted the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with his US counterpart that a long-term settlement could be reached through peace talks.