MOSCOW, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Russia values and welcomes the United States' efforts to steer the resolution of the Ukraine conflict onto a political and diplomatic track, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Washington's efforts to channel the Ukraine settlement into a political and diplomatic framework align with Russia's interests, and we value such endeavors," he said.

Peskov emphasized that peace cannot be achieved passively, and that reciprocal efforts from all relevant countries are crucial. "Security hinges on dialogue. We are engaged in such dialogue with the U.S. side, and we highly appreciate Washington's efforts in this regard," he added.

"For peace to be established, concerted and reciprocal actions from all parties are a must," Peskov said.

The spokesman further noted that Russia remains open to negotiations with the United States, stressing that while Moscow maintains dialogue with Washington, it has no such talks with Europe.

"The United States' efforts to bring the Ukrainian settlement into a political and diplomatic framework are in our interests," he said.