In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to see "certain dynamics" on the battlefield before agreeing to an extended ceasefire, insisting arms deliveries from Ukraine's allies must stop before there can be a pause in hostilities.
"Otherwise, it will be advantage for Ukraine. Ukraine will continue their total mobilization, bringing new troops to front line. Ukraine will use this period to train new military personnel and to give a rest to their existing ones," Peskov told ABC News' Chief Global Affairs Correspondent and "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "So why should we grant such an advantage to Ukraine?"
Peskov also asserted that Ukraine is "not ready for immediate negotiations," denying that Putin was the one dragging his feet.
"President Putin is doing whatever is possible to solve the problem, to achieve a settlement through peaceful and diplomatic means. But having no peaceful and democratic means at hand, we have to continue military operation," he said.