Relations between Kyiv and Washington have returned to normal and Ukraine has demonstrated to the American side that it is seriously determined to achieve peace, said head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.

"I think we have great conversations with the Americans," Yermak said in an interview with Reuters in Kyiv late on Tuesday. "I think we are back on track."

He said two rounds of talks in Saudi Arabia on a possible ceasefire had given Kyiv an opportunity to demonstrate to US officials that it was ready to work with US President Donald Trump in his quest to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine. He noted that this contradicted the Russian approach to negotiations, which he said involved putting forward conditions for a peace deal.

Describing the talks in Saudi Arabia, where US officials tried to reach an agreement with Russia and the Ukrainian delegation on a ceasefire, Yermak said: "We demonstrated we are very serious, the Americans understood."

In contrast, he said: "Russia is just playing games." Russia made a Black Sea truce conditional on an easing of sanctions so it can regain access to international export markets for its fertiliser and agricultural products. Yermak said this was indicative of Russia's approach to peace talks overall. "It shows that they (Russia) did not accept an unconditional ceasefire, which is nonsense," he said. "Our logic is that we need to go in without any conditions."

"President Trump wants to end this war, this is great…. Russia does not want to end this war. The best way to believe otherwise would be Russia’s strict adherence to the agreements reached in Saudi Arabia — at the very least, the initial agreements on an unconditional ceasefire. And then move forward toward a truly sustainable peace," Yermak said.