Russia's position on ending the war in Ukraine remains unchanged, Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Alexey Fadeev said. President Vladimir Putin outlined the conditions for ending the conflict in 6/2024. These include Ukraine abandoning its NATO aspirations and withdrawing troops from the 4 regions Russia claims to have annexed.
Fadeev criticized European diplomatic consultations with Ukraine before the summit between President Putin and US President Donald Trump. "We consider the consultations promoted by Europe to be politically and practically meaningless," he said, accusing the European Union (EU) of "undermining" US and Russian efforts to end the conflict.
President Putin and President Trump will discuss "all outstanding issues" in bilateral relations when they meet in Alaska on 15/8, according to Fadeev.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP |
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP
Russia controls nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, annexed in 2014, along with the entire Lugansk province and most of 3 other provinces: Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. President Putin has repeatedly stated Russia's readiness for negotiations, but he won't relinquish the annexed territories.
Trump last week suggested a "territorial exchange" between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected this possibility.
President Zelensky and European leaders are scheduled to meet virtually with Trump on 13/8, hoping to persuade the US president to prioritize Kyiv's interests during the Alaska summit. Zelensky's absence from the summit has raised concerns about potential territorial concessions from Kyiv.
EU leaders on 12/8 emphasized Ukraine's right to self-determination and stated that "international borders cannot be changed by force".
However, Fadeev dismissed the EU's statements as "an attempt to delay the resolution process". "We will monitor European countries' actions regarding the upcoming summit and hope they won't obstruct the meeting or the achievement of constructive agreements," he said.
Huyen Le (AFP, Reuters)
