Russia Sees Fast Ukraine Deal if US Follows Alaska Plan
Russia says a Ukraine settlement could advance quickly if Washington acts on US proposals discussed in Alaska, Sergey Ryabkov said.
Moscow believes that progress toward settling the conflict in Ukraine could come quickly if Washington bases its approach on the agreements linked to US proposals discussed at the Alaska summit, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.
He was responding to US President Donald Trump’s remark that a solution to the Ukraine conflict may be closer than it appears. Ryabkov avoided giving a direct assessment of Trump’s wording, but said such a view could prove accurate if the US administration is prepared to proceed from the consent Russia gave to Washington’s proposals in Anchorage.
The deputy foreign minister made the comments to reporters on the sidelines of the PIR Center school on international security.
Ryabkov also stressed that Russia regularly sends signals to the United States over what Moscow sees as Washington’s unacceptable involvement in the Ukraine conflict. According to him, Russian officials see daily reports in Western media about activities carried out with US participation that directly affect both Russia’s relations with the collective West and the situation around the special military operation.
He linked this involvement, among other things, to Kiev’s ability and willingness to strike civilian infrastructure and civilians. Ryabkov said Moscow is actively conveying its position on the issue to Washington. He also recalled that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had already assessed the current level of Western involvement in the conflict, and that assessment also applies to the United States.
At the same time, Moscow does not intend to cut off contacts with Washington on the Ukrainian issue. Ryabkov said Russia will continue communication under any circumstances and has no plans to shut down those channels, even if the United States changes its position.
According to the deputy foreign minister, Russian-American dialogue continues at different levels and is taking place almost every day. He said contacts are maintained both in writing and orally.