The Kremlin praised US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday for criticising Ukrainian missile strikes deep into Russian territory but said discussions about deploying European troops to keep a possible future peace in Ukraine were premature.

With Russia advancing at the fastest rate since the 2022 invasion, Trump and some European leaders have discussed how to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump criticised Ukraine’s use of US-supplied missiles for attacks deep into Russia in a Time magazine interview published on Thursday, saying it was “crazy” because it escalated the war. He said Washington should not have allowed it.

“The statement itself completely coincides with our position,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said Trump’s remarks were in line with “our vision of the causes of escalation”.

“It appeals to us,” Peskov said. “It is obvious that Trump understands exactly what is escalating the situation.”

Russia has said the decision by US President Joe Biden to let Ukraine strike deep into Russia with US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles could trigger a world war, but some Western leaders suggest Russia has military ambitions beyond Ukraine.

Kyiv says it should be able to strike at its enemy although some US officials question whether the Ukrainian missile strikes can change the course of the war.

Russia said on Wednesday Ukraine had struck a military airfield on the Azov Sea with six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles.

After Ukraine struck Russia with ATACMS last month, Russia fired a new hypersonic ballistic missile known as “Oreshnik”, or Hazel Tree, at Ukraine, and Putin said Russia reserved the right to hit US and British military facilities.

While campaigning for the presidency, Trump said he would swiftly end the war but has not detailed in public how he would do so.

Asked whether Trump’s words gave the Kremlin greater hope for ending the war, Peskov cautioned that during his first term as US President Trump imposed many sanctions on Russia.

The Kremlin said discussions by European powers about possibly deploying European troops to police any ceasefire were premature, but did not dismiss the idea outright.