A senior Russian diplomat stated that Russia is willing to listen to new proposals for resolving the conflict with Ukraine, but any plan should reflect the “current reality.” According to the Russian media News.ru on Friday (21st), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview that the United States has shown willingness to engage in “constructive dialogue” on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and also “understands Russia’s position.”
“At this stage, it is more important how much Washington can influence the decision-making of the Kyiv authorities and their European supporters – they still dream of causing Russia a ‘strategic defeat’,” he said.
Against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Iran, negotiations between Russia and the U.S. to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict have reached a stalemate.
The Kremlin stated on Thursday (20th) that there has been no progress regarding the plans for U.S. Presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to visit Russia again. The two have previously led negotiations between the United States and Russia.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila, expressed Washington’s commitment to helping end the war.
However, Rubio also mentioned that a peace agreement will not be reached in the short term, but the U.S. is trying to “seek a compromise.”
Ryabkov stated that Russia is prepared to listen to Rubio’s new proposals and continue dialogue with Washington.
“We are ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that meet the goals set by the Russian President and that reflect the ‘real situation’,” he said.
After nearly four and a half years since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, it is estimated that Russia currently controls about one-fifth of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly expressed willingness to negotiate with Ukraine, but the condition is that Ukraine must recognize the “current reality.”
In the interview, Ryabkov also hinted that Russia hopes to maintain dialogue with the U.S. on nuclear issues. The New START Treaty signed by the U.S. and Russia expired in February this year, leaving the two nuclear superpowers in a situation where their strategic arsenals are not bound by any treaty for the first time in over half a century.
The treaty, signed by former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, came into effect in 2011.
Moscow has stated that as long as Washington continues to comply with the treaty’s limits on missiles and warheads, Russia will do the same.
Ryabkov said, “We are still willing to seek political and diplomatic means to stabilize the situation in that area.”
(This article referenced reports from Reuters)