A phone call between the Russian and US leaders hasn’t been planned yet, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
Moscow is open to dialogue with the new US administration but no contact has been established yet, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Ryabkov said that a phone call between the two countries’ presidents is not being planned while there is no agreement or understanding on the matter. All contacts are currently being carried out at the embassy level, he noted.
US President Donald Trump, who took office last Monday, has said he is ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as quickly as possible to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin had previously stated that Moscow is ready to talk and is awaiting signals from the Trump administration.
“As the Russian President has repeatedly said, we are open to dialogue and contacts, conversations and meetings,” Ryabkov reiterated.
The diplomat was also asked by reporters about the possibility of a first face-to-face contact between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa at the end of February.
“What will happen in the coming weeks is an open question, anything is possible,” the diplomat responded.
Trump has vowed to quickly negotiate a resolution to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev and has reportedly given his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, 100 days to hammer out such a settlement. On Wednesday, the US president threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia if the latter refuses to accept an unspecified “deal” to end the conflict but maintained that he is “not looking to hurt Russia.”
Earlier media reports have suggested that Trump’s team is eyeing a peace plan for Ukraine, which could include a ceasefire along the current front lines and the creation of an 800-mile demilitarized zone patrolled by European troops. Additionally, the roadmap would reportedly see Kiev agree to delay its aspirations for NATO membership for at least 20 years.
Russia has insisted that the hostilities will only end when Ukraine commits to permanent neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, stressing that Kiev must recognize the territorial “realities on the ground.” Moscow has stated that it has always been open to talks with Ukraine, but that any deal must include “reliable, legally binding agreements eliminating the root causes of the conflict.”
