Ryabkov reported on progress in negotiations with the US.
In an interview with International Affairs magazine, Sergei Ryabkov said about a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump: “Nothing can be ruled out in advance, and the search for a solution (to stop the war in Ukraine) continues.”
He reported on the existence of multiple channels of open and covert consultation between Moscow and Washington and called the progress in the talks between Russia and the US “significant.”
Regarding the possibility of a trilateral meeting with China and the US on nuclear stability, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister also said that Moscow does not intend to force Beijing on this issue and has not received any official proposal from the US in this regard.
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since the start of the war in Ukraine. Current US President Donald Trump, who has close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is trying to improve relations with the Kremlin by making concessions on the Ukrainian front.
In recent days, some Western media outlets have reported on the existence of a 28-point draft by the United States to end the war in Ukraine. According to these media outlets, the draft includes the transfer of the Crimean Peninsula and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions to Russia, as well as the division of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions along the current front lines.
These reports state that, within the framework of this plan, Ukraine must abandon its goal of joining NATO as outlined in its constitution, and in return, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization must commit not to admit Ukraine as a member and not to station any forces on its territory. Limiting the Ukrainian army to about 600,000 troops, providing “reliable security guarantees,” and opening the path to possible membership in the European Union are other aspects mentioned for this plan.
On the other hand, a US government spokesman introduced this plan as the result of weeks of joint work between the Secretary of State and Trump’s special envoy, describing it as “a good plan for Russia and Ukraine” that enjoys the support of the president. At the same time, informed sources, citing media reports, reported increased pressure from Washington on the Kyiv government to accept this agreement, saying that in addition to the political sphere, this pressure also includes threats to reduce or cut off military and intelligence assistance.