US President Donald Trump's envoy said that he does not see President Vladimir Putin wanting to invade beyond Ukraine and described fears of broader Russian aggression as "academic".
"I just don't see that he wants to take all of Europe," Steve Witkoff told Fox News.
"I take him at his word in this sense, so, and I think the Europeans are beginning to come to that belief, too. But it sort of doesn't matter. That's an academic issue .... The agenda is, stop the killing, stop the carnage. Let's end this thing."
Mr Witkoff said he expects progress in Ukraine-Russia talks tomorrow.
"I think you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire," he said.
"I feel he wants peace," Mr Witkoff said of Mr Putin, adding that "lots of progress got made last week".
In another sign of how far the US has drifted from its previous condemnations of the Russian occupation in Ukraine, Mr Trump's envoy said "there's a view within the country of Russia that these are Russian territories".
He cited a series of referendums conducted by Russia in occupied territories that purported to show support for Moscow's rule, but were condemned as illegitimate by Ukraine and much of the international community.
In the view of Russia, those votes "justify" their actions, he said.
"This is not me taking sides. I'm just identifying what the issues are," he said.
Putin, Trump may have spoken more than twice - Kremlin
Meanwhile, Mr Putin and Mr Trump may have had more contacts than the two publicly announced telephone calls over recent months, the Kremlin said in video footage published by state television.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he wants the three-year conflict in Ukraine to end and has warned of the risks of it escalating into a world war between the United States and Russia.
There have so far been two announced phone calls between Mr Putin and Mr Trump this year - on
12 February and on 18 March - though there has been speculation about much more frequent contact, and also reports that they spoke before Mr Trump was elected last year.
When asked by the most prominent Kremlin correspondent for state television about remarks by Mr Trump that indicated there may have been more than two calls, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said information had been released about those calls he knew of.
"Listen, we inform you about the conversations that we are aware of. But we can't rule out everything else," Mr Peskov said with a smile.
State television's Pavel Zarubin then asked: "So all sorts of nuances are possible as they say?" to which Mr Peskov replied: "Well, that is how I would answer your question."
The contacts between Mr Trump and Mr Putin have spooked European leaders who fear the United States could be turning its back on Europe in the hope of striking a peace deal with Russia as part of some broader grand bargain encompassing oil prices, the Middle East and competition with China.
Read More:
Putin-Trump call 'setback' for 'Coalition of the willing'
Putin's games - maximum demands and zero concessions
EU defence: Paying the price of the Russian threat
Before the contacts with Mr Trump, Mr Putin last spoke to a sitting US president in February 2022, when he and Joe Biden spoke shortly before the Russian leader ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in his 2024 book 'War' reported that Mr Trump had direct conversations as many as seven times with Mr Putin after he left the White House in 2021.
Asked if that were true in an interview to Bloomberg last year, Mr Trump said: "If I did, it's a smart thing."
The Kremlin denied Mr Woodward's report.
Reuters, The Washington Post and Axios reported separately that Mr Trump and Mr Putin spoke in early November. The Kremlin also denied those reports.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump may have another phone call if Ukraine continues strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, Mr Peskov said.
The Russian president agreed to the suspension of such attacks in a phone call with Mr Trump last week.
Ukraine, which has said it would be willing to take part in such a partial ceasefire if a document setting out its terms is agreed, has accused Russia of not abiding by Mr Putin's order, something Russia denies.
"While the Russian side has been sticking to its word for several days now, the word that the president gave, and to the president's command, which immediately came into force and was immediately implemented, and is still being implemented, the same cannot be said of the Kyiv regime", Mr Peskov said.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Friday of blowing up a Russian gas pumping station in a border area where Ukrainian troops have been retreating.
Russia said yesterday that it reserves the right to a "symmetrical response" to Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
Asked if Ukraine's violation of the agreement may become a reason for another Putin-Trump call, Mr Peskov said: "Absolutely. The presidents confirmed their intention to continue contacts as necessary."
In another clip released on Mr Zarubin's Telegram channel earlier, Mr Peskov said the latest phone call between Mr Putin and Mr Trump was "a step towards a face-to-face meeting", adding that Russia-US talks in Riyadh scheduled for tomorrow would also be such a step, Interfax news agency reported.
