MOSCOW, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia is striving for a sustainable peace with Ukraine, but this will only be possible after Russia has secured its own interests, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday.

File photo taken on Dec. 19, 2019 shows Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual press conference in Moscow, Russia. (File photo: Xinhua)

"After all, we want a sustainable peace. And sustainable peace can only be achieved once we have safeguarded our interests and attained the objectives that have been in place since the very beginning," he said.

Peskov noted that the key point of disagreement in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiation process is a small area of the Donetsk People's Republic currently controlled by the Ukrainian army.

He said that substantive talks on resolving the conflict can only begin after Russian troops reach the administrative borders of Russia's new regions.

"In any case, we are talking about very complex, meticulous, and not quick negotiations," Peskov said.