When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that Russia is open to the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, the Kremlin referred journalists to its previous statement that such a move would be unacceptable for Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly stated its opposition to NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying last week that Moscow would consider such a development a “direct threat” to Russian sovereignty, even if the troops were operating under a different flag.

When asked about Trump’s remark, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov avoided directly contradicting the U.S. president but effectively reiterated Russia’s opposition to the idea. “There is already a position on this matter, as expressed by Foreign Minister Lavrov. I have nothing to add and nothing to comment on. I will leave it at that,” Peskov stated.

Trump said on Monday that both he and Putin accepted the idea of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if a settlement to end the war was reached. “Yes, he would accept that,” Trump claimed. “I asked him specifically about this issue. He has no problem with it,” the U.S. president added.

However, the Kremlin announced today that it welcomes what it sees as a more balanced U.S. stance on the Ukraine issue, following the United Nations Security Council’s approval on Monday of a U.S.-drafted resolution that adopts a neutral position on the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov stated that Moscow views this move as “a sign of Washington’s genuine willingness to seek a peaceful resolution.”

The Kremlin also emphasized today that Russia possesses large deposits of rare earth minerals and is open to agreements for their development after President Vladimir Putin raised the possibility of such a deal with the United States.

“The Americans need rare earths. We have plenty of them,” Peskov remarked. “We have our own plans for developing strategic resources, but there is significant potential for cooperation in this area,” he added while speaking to reporters.

Putin stated on Monday in a state television interview that Russia is open to joint projects with American partners—including both the government and the private sector—within the framework of a future Russia-U.S. economic agreement.

Donald Trump has also indicated that “major economic development deals with Russia” will take place.

Peskov cautioned, however, that significant work remains in normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington before any economic agreements can be signed.

“The next item on the agenda is resolving the Ukraine crisis,” Peskov noted. “And then, particularly since the Americans themselves have spoken about it, the time will come to explore possible programs related to trade, economic cooperation, and investment.”

Rare earths are a group of 17 metals essential for manufacturing magnets that convert energy into motion, used in electric vehicles, mobile phones, missile systems, and various electronic devices.

Russia holds the fifth-largest rare earth reserves in the world, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey, following China, Brazil, India, and Australia.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Ukraine are negotiating a separate agreement on rare earth minerals. Trump stated this week that a deal is “fairly close.” However, Putin said on Monday that Russia has no interest in these negotiations.