On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State had a phone conversation.
Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, and Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, discussed Ukraine peace talks in a phone call on Wednesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Lavrov updated Rubio on “specific proposals for the upcoming round of direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.”
According to the ministry’s website, “Both parties expressed their intention to continue a constructive and respectful dialogue.”
Tammy Bruce, a US State Department spokeswoman, stated that Rubio “applauded Russia and Ukraine’s exchange of ‘1,000-for-1,000’ prisoners that occurred over the weekend.”
Bruce further stated, “The secretary reiterated President Trump’s calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only way to end this war.”
The conversation happened as US President Donald Trump increased his strong words against Russia, accusing Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire.”
However, he did not impose new sanctions, but suggested it could happen if peace negotiations fail. Trump said on Wednesday, “We’re going to find out whether or not [Putin is] stringing us along, and if he is, we’ll react a little differently.”
On May 16, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years in Istanbul, agreeing to a significant prisoner exchange and to each create a memorandum outlining their conditions for a potential ceasefire. The exchange was carried out in stages and finished last week.
While Kiev claims to have shared its memorandum with both Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it is “finalizing” its version of the document.
Lavrov suggested holding the next round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator, has denied Ukraine’s allegations that Moscow is delaying the process.
Kiev has supported Trump’s proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. However, Russia has stated that for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must stop mobilization, stop receiving weapons from other countries, and remove its troops from Russian territory.
Moscow also insists that Kiev must give up its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia. The Kremlin has described NATO’s expansion as one of the “root causes” of the conflict – an issue it says must be addressed in the current negotiations.
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