Lithuanian president: Russia's appetite in Ukraine peace talks is too big

VILNIUS - Russia's appetite in the Ukraine peace talks is too big, and the Kremlin's lack of response to the ongoing talks may indicate that Moscow is not ready to end the war, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

"I greatly appreciate the efforts of the United States, appreciate the efforts of Ukraine to demonstrate all the necessary flexibility and diplomacy in pursuit of the peace process. I believe that the Ukrainians sincerely want this terrible war to finally end and stop tormenting the Ukrainian people," Nauseda said in an interview broadcast on the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

"However, so far we have seen a very limited response from the Kremlin, which does not allow us to be completely optimistic," he added.

The president made these comments after another round of negotiations in the US, which hosted a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Statements by officials indicate that Russians and Ukrainians still disagree on the future of the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine and on who should control the Donbas region partly occupied by Russia in eastern Ukraine.

Nauseda stressed that the US has leverage it can use in negotiations with Russia, but Moscow's appetites are currently "unreasonable".

"They may lead to a situation where one side will simply find these conditions unacceptable: either, if the conditions are favorable to Russia, they will be unacceptable to Ukraine, or vice versa," the Lithuanian president said.

"Therefore, I am still cautious and quite cautious about the outcome of this possible process," he added.

Nonetheless, the country's leader said he believes that the next few weeks will show whether Russia wants peace and is ready for normal negotiations.

The current plan, revised after weeks of intense US-Ukrainian negotiations, would stop the war at the current frontlines in the eastern Donbas region and set up a demilitarized area, while Russia has long demanded territorial concessions.

Yet the Kremlin has shown no sign of compromise, with Vladimir Putin repeatedly saying his troops will seize the rest of Ukrainian land he has proclaimed as Russian.

Outnumbered and exhausted Ukrainian troops have struggled to hold back a Russian advance, which picked up pace since fall.