Moscow, 1 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Russia does not expect a quick mediation success in resolving the war in Ukraine if Donald Trump is re-elected as US president, according to the leadership in Moscow.

"I don't think there is a magic wand. It cannot be done in one day," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in extracts of his interview with the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin." programme due to be shown on Russian television on Sunday.

Peskov was commenting on earlier claims by the former US president and current Republican candidate for the White House that he could end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict started by Moscow in a day.

Nevertheless, Peskov toyed with the idea, saying it was conceivable that "the next US president announces in his inauguration speech that the United States is in favour of peace and is therefore ending its support for Ukraine.

"Then perhaps something will change in thinking the next morning, especially in Kiev," Peskov added.

However, he stressed that this was purely hypothetical, given the extent of US support for Ukraine's war effort against Russia.

The US is already very much part of the conflict through its arms supplies to Ukraine, Peskov said, describing the relationship between Moscow and Washington as worse than it has been "for decades" as a result.

Officially, Peskov stuck to the line that Russia was not favouring anyone in the election campaign between Trump and Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris. 

Thanks to military and financial support by Western countries, Ukraine has been fending off the Russian invasion for two and a half years.

Despite the aid, it has been unable to fully repel the attack, which in view of high casualties on both sides has increased the pressure to seek a diplomatic solution.

However, Moscow's demands for an end to the war so far effectively amount to a capitulation by Ukraine.

Photo: EPA