Russia rejects Ukraine proposals from US in ‘current form’ after Trump says he is ‘angry’ with Putin | World News
Russia cannot accept the United States’ current proposals to end the war in Ukraine, as they do not address the root causes of the conflict, Deputy Foreign Miner Sergei Ryabkov said, indicating that talks between Moscow and Washington have stalled.
“We take the models and solutions proposed the Americans very seriously, but we can’t accept them in their current form,” Ryabkov told the Russian magazine International Affairs in an interview released Tuesday.
Ryabkov’s remarks suggest that Moscow and Washington have yet to reconcile differences mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin more than two weeks ago when he called for revisions to the US proposals.
Story continues below this ad
US President Donald Trump has recently expressed growing frustration, suggesting Moscow may be delaying a broader agreement. In recent days, he stated that he was “pissed off” with Putin and warned of potential sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil if Moscow obstructs a deal.
Ryabkov, a special in US-Russia relations, said Moscow could not yet move forward with an agreement.
“As far as we can see, our main demand—addressing the root causes of this conflict—is completely absent. That must be rectified.”
Putin has insed that Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions, that Russia should control all four Ukrainian regions it claims, and that Ukraine must limit the size of its military. Kyiv has rejected these demands as tantamount to surrender.Story continues below this ad
‘Angry’ Trump
US and Russian officials have been engaged in talks for several weeks to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, during which Trump has frequently criticised Ukrainian President but not Russian President Putin.
However, Trump’s frustration with Putin surfaced after the Russian leader suggested on Friday the formation of an interim government in Ukraine under UN oversight to replace Zelenskyy.
“You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location,” Trump told NBC News.
“New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” he added.Story continues below this ad
During his daily press briefing on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that parts of Trump’s interview with NBC had been ‘paraphrased’, adding that Moscow remains in contact with Washington.
“The subject is very complex. The substance of our discussions on a Ukrainian settlement is highly intricate. This requires significant additional effort,” Peskov said.
Before the weekend, Trump had taken a more conciliatory approach toward Russia, raising concerns among Western allies as he sought to mediate an end to the war, now in its fourth year.
However, following lobing efforts from European leaders, including Finland’s president, urging him to take a firmer stance on Russia, Trump has recently adopted a tougher position.
(With Inputs from Reuters)
