"I really hope that I sense correctly the tone of the new administration and their interest in understanding this situation," Kislyak said, adding that only a few people in the US Congress understand what is happening in Ukraine.
"They backed this power because it was their project, but did little to assist with the implementation of the Minsk agreements," he explained.
However, Kislyak noted that those people, "who helped with the coup and later supported the illegitimate power, have left office."
The ambassador also said that the Ukrainian diplomacy in the United States focuses on spreading misinformation about the situation in country.
Moreover, Russian authorities hope Washington will induce Kiev to fully implement the Minsk agreements to settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Kislyak added.
"We would like the United States to help their partners in Kiev to understand that they will not be able to play this dangerous game for long, and that they have to start implementing what they have signed," Kislyak told reporters.
Kislyak noted that the administration of President Barack Obama did very little to help with the implementation of the Minsk agreements.
The ambassador noted that the Trump administration has been in office for a short period of time and has not yet formed their own view on the problem.
Kiev launched a military operation against Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and neighboring People’s Republic of Luhansk (LPR) in 2014, when the two refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government that came to power after a coup.
In 2015, the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement in Minsk after the negotiations brokered by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. The Minsk accords included withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line in eastern Ukraine among other provisions.
The situation in southeastern Ukraine has escalated over the past few days, in particular near the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, where clashes between Kiev forces and the DPR militia have intensified. The conflicting parties have both accused each other of initiating the violence.
