The Kremlin said Friday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's opposition to Ukraine firing U.S.-supplied weapons deep into Russia "fully aligned" with Moscow's position.
Trump said in an interview published Thursday that he disagreed "very vehemently" with Ukraine's use of ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory.
The comments were welcomed by the Kremlin, which on Friday said it had launched a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine's energy grid as a response to Kyiv striking an airfield with U.S.-supplied weapons this week.
"The statement fully aligns with our position, with our view on the reasons for escalation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation."
Trump told Time Magazine that he thought it was a "foolish decision" to allow Ukraine to fire missiles "hundreds of miles in Russia."
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the supply of Western arms to Ukraine and said the use of the weapons makes NATO countries direct participants in the war, which is nearing its third year.
Trump claimed on the campaign trail that he could strike a deal to end the fighting in 24 hours, and speculation over a possible ceasefire is growing ahead of his inauguration in January.
But the Kremlin said Friday that its "prerequisites" for holding peace talks with Ukraine had not yet been met.
"We don't want a ceasefire. We want peace after our conditions are met and all our goals are achieved," Peskov told reporters.
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