Moscow: We are ready to discuss Washington’s peace plan in Ukraine

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Russia is ready to conduct settlement negotiations in Ukraine based on the Alaska summit agreements between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump and not affecting their principles.

He reiterated that these agreements constitute an irreversible “red line” and that Russia is ready to continue dialogue with Washington.

He stressed that Russia was ready to discuss the US plan “without in any way talking about concessions or abandoning its approach.”

He added that the various elements of the agreements reached in Alaska “are in themselves concessions from Moscow.”

He also warned of the “multiple dirty attempts” currently being made to hinder the progress of Russian-American relations, holding European countries responsible for “desperate efforts” to prevent reaching a Russian-American agreement and impose their agenda on the diplomatic process.

He stressed that Russian-American relations are still in the “early stages of normalization” and that although there is a possibility of organizing a meeting between Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio, no official arrangements in this regard have yet been made.

Ryabkov expressed Moscow’s concern over the lack of any progress on priority issues, such as the resumption of flights or the return of seized diplomatic assets, stressing that Russia is “open to dialogue, but only within a framework that respects its fundamental interests and asserts its sovereignty.”

He also warned of serious repercussions for strategic stability if Washington rejects Moscow’s offer to extend or renew the New START treaty, saying its rejection would lead to an “unexpected escalation” in this area.