Russia, U.S. Discuss Ukraine Peace Efforts
(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to deliberate the ongoing peace discussions surrounding Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry revealed that Lavrov informed Rubio about “concrete proposals for the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.”
This conversation underscored Moscow’s initiative in planning the next phase of negotiations.
According to the ministry’s official statement, “Both sides affirmed their intent to maintain constructive and respectful dialogue.”
This emphasized the shared objective of fostering an atmosphere of diplomacy, despite growing tensions between the two nations.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed that Rubio “welcomed Russia and Ukraine’s exchange of ‘1,000-for-1,000’ prisoners over the weekend.”
She also stated that “The secretary reiterated President Trump’s calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war.”
This indicates Washington’s continued endorsement of peaceful negotiation as the sole viable solution to the conflict.
The diplomatic exchange took place against a backdrop of escalating language from U.S. Leader Donald Trump, who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing with fire.”
Although Trump refrained from enforcing fresh sanctions at this time, he hinted at future actions if talks break down, saying, “We’re going to find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along, and if he is, we’ll respond a little differently.”
Russia and Ukraine’s first in-person negotiations in three years occurred on May 16 in Istanbul.
These talks culminated in an agreement to implement a substantial prisoner exchange and to compose separate memorandums outlining each side’s conditions for a possible truce.
The prisoner swap was carried out in stages and finalized last week, marking a tentative step toward easing tensions.
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