Russia proposes dialogue with U.S. to address Ukraine war
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow is ready to "continue joint work" with Washington "with the aim of eliminating the original causes of the Ukrainian crisis," Reuters reports, citing a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry published Thursday.
What do you need to know?
- Russia expresses readiness for talks with the U.S.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov conveyed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow is ready to cooperate with Washington to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
- Talks in Paris: Marco Rubio informed Lavrov about the discussions in Paris, which included representatives from the U.S., Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
- Russia's conditions: Russia emphasizes that its conditions for ending the war include recognition of the annexation of four Ukrainian regions and Ukraine's withdrawal from plans to join NATO.
Rubio called Lavrov
The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Sergey Lavrov over the phone about the discussions in Paris earlier that day, attended by representatives from the U.S., Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement, Lavrov confirmed "Moscow's readiness to continue joint work with American colleagues with the aim of eliminating the original causes of the Ukrainian crisis."
"The Foreign Minister and Secretary of State concurred on the necessity to maintain prompt communication channels, particularly in light of forthcoming meetings scheduled by American and European officials with Ukrainian representatives next week," the Russian Foreign Ministry informed.
What are Russia's conditions?
Reuters agency reminds that Russia continuously repeats that its conditions for ending the war include, among others, formal recognition by Ukraine of the annexation of its four regions and the abandonment of any plans to join NATO.
