Synopsis
In a pivotal call, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed essential steps for initiating peace talks on Ukraine. With rising tensions and previous discussions, can this dialogue lead to a breakthrough in the ongoing crisis? Stay tuned as we unpack the latest developments.Key Takeaways
- Lavrov and Rubio discussed critical factors for initiating talks on Ukraine.
- President Putin is open to negotiations without preconditions.
- Moscow claims Ukraine is not genuinely interested in peace.
- Russia emphasizes targeting military goals only.
- Guarantees are needed for ceasefire to prevent military escalation in Ukraine.
Moscow, April 28 (NationPress) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov engaged in a telephone discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the necessity of establishing favorable conditions to initiate peace negotiations concerning Ukraine, as reported in a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday.
“The conversation concentrated on the Ukraine crisis. Following the April 25 dialogue between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, both the Foreign Minister and the Secretary of State stressed the critical need to fortify the emerging conditions to begin talks aimed at securing a credible path to lasting peace,” the statement indicated.
“The two parties sustained a productive exchange regarding pivotal aspects of the Russia-US political dialogue, which has seen significant intensification recently,” it added.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier mentioned that President Putin was open to resuming negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions.
The April 25 meeting between Putin and Witkoff marked their fourth encounter this year. According to Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, the discussion, lasting three hours, was described as “constructive and highly beneficial.”
In a recent interview with CBS News, Lavrov articulated that Moscow has consistently shown a serious inclination towards Washington's proposals to foster confidence in resolving the Ukraine conflict, yet Kyiv seems to only create an illusion of interest.
“If you think that only Ukraine is keen on building confidence, then I would say this is a mere illusion,” he remarked in response to a question.
The senior Russian diplomat reaffirmed that Russia had previously supported US President Donald Trump’s initiative for a 30-day moratorium on strikes targeting energy facilities, complying with it under President Putin’s directive.
In response to President Trump's dismay over Russian strikes on Kyiv, urging Putin to “stop”, Lavrov asserted that Russia only targets military objectives or civilian infrastructures utilized by the military.
“President Putin has reiterated this numerous times, and this instance is no different. We do not intentionally target civilian locations, unlike the Zelensky regime,” he noted.
“Regarding the ceasefire and the call to halt, President Putin promptly endorsed President Trump’s proposal a few weeks ago for a 30-day ceasefire, as long as we avoid repeating the mistakes of the last decade, where agreements were made but subsequently violated with the backing of the former Biden administration and European nations,” Lavrov added.
“Thus, President Putin affirmed a ceasefire is acceptable, but we require assurances that this ceasefire will not be exploited to strengthen the Ukrainian military, and that the flow of arms should cease,” concluded the Russian Foreign Minister.
