Kremlin hopes new Ukrainian president to seek peace with Russia

Moscow hopes that the new president of Ukraine will aim to restore peace with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.



It is definitely better for the Kremlin if the new Ukrainian president soberly assesses the reality, shows political wisdom, and is a president of peace not war, Peskov told a daily briefing.



The spokesman said that the relations between Russia and Ukraine are unlikely to improve if the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko wins the election scheduled for March 31.



Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Crimea on Monday that Moscow lacked understanding of the current Ukrainian leadership, "which is really hard to deal with or achieve some positive results."



Putin said that Moscow would be ready to mend ties with Kiev "as soon as common sense prevails" there.



According to various Ukrainian opinion polls, actor Volodymyr Zelensky, Poroshenko and opposition politician Yulia Tymoshenko are viewed as front runners in the upcoming presidential race.

