Russia Welcomes US-Iran Ceasefire, Hopes for Direct Talks and Ukraine Resumption
MOSCOW — April 8, 2026 — The Kremlin on Wednesday welcomed the two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, expressing satisfaction that the parties had chosen to halt armed escalation after weeks of intense military confrontation in the Middle East.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing in Moscow that Russia received the news of the truce “with satisfaction” and supported the decision not to proceed further down the path of armed escalation .
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“We welcome the news of a ceasefire and support the decision not to continue down the path of armed escalation,” Peskov said, according to multiple news agencies . “From the outset, we’ve stressed the necessity of de-escalating tensions as quickly as possible and a shift toward political and diplomatic talks” .
Russia Hopes for Direct Iran-US Negotiations
Peskov expressed hope that direct contacts between Iranian and American delegations would take place “in the coming days,” allowing each side to defend its interests at the negotiating table rather than through military action .
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The Kremlin spokesman noted that Russia had previously emphasized the importance of quickly returning to diplomacy amid the escalation in the Middle East . The ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, was announced less than two hours before a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz .
Medvedev: ‘Common Sense Has Prevailed’
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, in a separate statement, declared that “common sense has prevailed” in the pause of tensions between the United States and Iran .
Medvedev said the conflict has effectively been put on hold, with both sides claiming victory. “So who won? First and foremost, common sense, which was severely undermined by the White House’s statements about destroying Iranian civilization in a single day,” he said .
He noted that the U.S. willingness to discuss a proposed 10-point plan represented a success for Iran, though the question remains whether Washington will agree to its provisions. Medvedev warned that Washington needs to maintain the fragile truce with Tehran, as any further move could worsen the situation .
Zakharova: ‘Aggressive Attack Approach Has Failed’
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova struck a more forceful tone, declaring that “the approach of an aggressive, unprovoked attack on Iran has failed” .
“All the statements that have been made regarding … that the main thing is more aggressive, the main thing is more offensive, the main thing is to write more on social networks, and ‘help’ is just around the corner. Once again, this position has suffered a crushing defeat,” Zakharova said .
She described the current situation in the Middle East as evidence of the ineffectiveness and unsustainability of any strategy based on escalation and the use of force. Zakharova said Russia had from the outset called for an immediate cessation to the aggression, stressing the need for a political and diplomatic settlement through negotiations based on international law .
Russia Hopes Ceasefree Will Resume Ukraine Talks
Peskov also drew a direct link between the Iran ceasefire and the prospects for peace in Ukraine, expressing hope that the pause in Middle East hostilities would free up U.S. negotiators to resume three-way talks on ending the war in Ukraine .
“We hope that, in the foreseeable future, (the U.S.) will have more time and greater opportunity to meet in a trilateral format,” Peskov said, referring to talks held between Russia, Ukraine and the United States .
Russia had previously said that Ukraine peace talks had been paused after the outbreak of hostilities in Iran. Negotiations began last year in Istanbul, and three-way talks with the U.S. were held earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and Geneva . Progress has been slow, largely because of an impasse over territory — Russia demands that Ukraine give up the remainder of its Donbas region, but Kyiv refuses to surrender land that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in more than four years of war .
Peskov said Russia highly appreciates the peace efforts of Trump and American negotiators regarding Ukraine .
Background: The Ceasefire Agreement
The ceasefire agreement was announced late Tuesday, April 7, less than two hours before a deadline Trump had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept an agreement or face what he described as the destruction of “a whole civilization” .
Under the terms of the two-week truce, the United States agreed to “suspend the bombing and attack of Iran,” while Iran agreed to a “complete, immediate, and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz” . Pakistan mediated the agreement, with negotiations scheduled to begin Friday in Islamabad.
Regional tensions had soared since the United States and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on February 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets, while also restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint for approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply .
As of Wednesday, April 8, Moscow has not announced any specific role in guaranteeing the ceasefire, though Iranian officials have expressed hope that Russia, along with China, Turkey and Pakistan, could work together to ensure the truce holds
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