Russia says it is not easy to agree Ukraine peace deal with US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said reaching a peace agreement with the United States over the war in Ukraine remains difficult, as Moscow stands firm on its demands and vows never to return to economic dependence on the West.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said reaching agreement with the United States on key aspects of a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine remains difficult, though discussions are ongoing.

"It is not easy to agree on the key components of a settlement. They are being discussed," Lavrov told Kommersant in an interview published Tuesday, when asked if Moscow and Washington had found common ground on any part of a possible deal.

He added that Russia recognizes what a mutually acceptable agreement would entail but remains wary of any proposal that could put the country at a strategic disadvantage. “We are well aware of what a mutually beneficial deal looks like, which we have never rejected, and what a deal looks like that could lead us into another trap,” Lavrov said.

The Kremlin noted over the weekend that it is still too early to expect significant outcomes from efforts to restore more stable relations with Washington.

Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s position as outlined by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024: that Ukraine must renounce its aspirations to join NATO and withdraw from all four regions that Moscow claims as Russian territory. “We’re talking about the rights of the people who live on these lands. That is why these lands are dear to us. And we cannot give them up, allowing people to be kicked out of there,” he stated.

Russia currently controls just under 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea—annexed in 2014—and parts of four additional regions it claims as its own, although these claims are not internationally recognized.

Lavrov also praised U.S. President Donald Trump for what he described as “common sense,” particularly for acknowledging that Western support for Ukraine’s NATO ambitions contributed to the outbreak of war.

However, Lavrov made it clear that Russia’s leadership would not accept any return to economic or technological dependence on the West. He said the globalized economy has been undermined by sanctions imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden, which have targeted Russia, China, and Iran.

While Western leaders continue to condemn Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine as an unjustified aggression and have vowed continued support for Kyiv, Moscow sees the conflict as part of a broader confrontation with the West. President Putin has long argued that NATO’s expansion and Western encroachment on Russia’s sphere of influence are at the root of the ongoing war.

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