US seeks peace in Ukraine as Western Europe overlooks root causes, says Lavrov
Washington is aiming to tackle the underlying issues fueling the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov remarked that the United States is pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine...
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Washington is aiming to tackle the underlying issues fueling the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Lavrov remarked that the United States is pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine situation, in contrast to the approach taken by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
He emphasized that any lasting agreement with Ukraine should consider the “root causes” of the crisis, particularly Kiev’s desire to join NATO.
At a press conference on Friday, Lavrov noted that US President Donald Trump “every time” reiterates his intention to halt the fighting between the two sides.
“We see that, unlike [Western] Europe… which completely ignores the root causes of the current situation, in the US there is a desire to get to the bottom of this issue,” he stated.
Lavrov also pointed out that “President Trump has repeatedly said in public that drawing Ukraine into NATO – despite many years of warnings from Moscow against doing so – was a mistake that probably played a decisive role in the current events.”
He continued by mentioning that Washington “also understands that a return to Ukraine’s 1991 borders, which is still being demanded by [Ukraine’s Vladimir] Zelensky, is impossible.”
Earlier on Friday, Axios reported that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had arrived in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later confirmed Witkoff's arrival, stating that any discussions between Putin and Witkoff would be announced separately.
Monitoring services indicated that a plane linked to Witkoff traveled from Florida to St. Petersburg overnight. Additionally, Putin is scheduled for “a regional trip” to an undisclosed location on Friday.
If a meeting takes place, it would mark the third interaction between Putin and Witkoff since Trump began efforts to normalize relations with Moscow and reiterated his plans to resolve the Ukraine conflict following his inauguration in January.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
Lavrov remarked that the United States is pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine situation, in contrast to the approach taken by the European Union and the United Kingdom.
He emphasized that any lasting agreement with Ukraine should consider the “root causes” of the crisis, particularly Kiev’s desire to join NATO.
At a press conference on Friday, Lavrov noted that US President Donald Trump “every time” reiterates his intention to halt the fighting between the two sides.
“We see that, unlike [Western] Europe… which completely ignores the root causes of the current situation, in the US there is a desire to get to the bottom of this issue,” he stated.
Lavrov also pointed out that “President Trump has repeatedly said in public that drawing Ukraine into NATO – despite many years of warnings from Moscow against doing so – was a mistake that probably played a decisive role in the current events.”
He continued by mentioning that Washington “also understands that a return to Ukraine’s 1991 borders, which is still being demanded by [Ukraine’s Vladimir] Zelensky, is impossible.”
Earlier on Friday, Axios reported that Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had arrived in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later confirmed Witkoff's arrival, stating that any discussions between Putin and Witkoff would be announced separately.
Monitoring services indicated that a plane linked to Witkoff traveled from Florida to St. Petersburg overnight. Additionally, Putin is scheduled for “a regional trip” to an undisclosed location on Friday.
If a meeting takes place, it would mark the third interaction between Putin and Witkoff since Trump began efforts to normalize relations with Moscow and reiterated his plans to resolve the Ukraine conflict following his inauguration in January.
Alejandro Jose Martinez for TROIB News
