Dmitry Peskov

That's why, Peskov continued, more time was needed to prepare for the summit, adding there'd been too much gossip and rumor in the media about the talks' demise.

Yet Russia has openly rejected Trump's calls to freeze the war in Ukraine along existing battle lines, a plan since embraced by Ukraine and European allies.

Instead, Russia is insisting it wants a long-term peace deal that addresses what it calls the root causes of the conflict.

Critics say that's Kremlin's shorthand for demands for Ukraine's capitulation and NATO's pullback from Eastern and Central Europe.