Kremlin: We’re Getting Positive Signals from Trump Team
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “A ceasefire with Ukraine is useless now. We hope Trump understands the true reasons for Russia's military operation in Ukraine”
Russia is not putting forward any conditions on relations with Kiev. But a truce would be useless now. And Moscow hopes US President-elect Donald Trump “understands the reasons” for Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
In an interview with the TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (pictured) explained why, after Kiev rejected the Russian proposal for a Christmas truce, “at this moment in Ukraine it will lead to nothing, and reliable agreements are needed.”
A condition put forward by Russia as a “precondition” before sitting down at the peace talks table: “Ukraine must hold a presidential election to have a legitimate leader to replace Volodymyr Zelensky, whose presidential mandate expired in May 2024.”
“When we are told that Russia offers preconditions (for peace talks – ed.), I respond that these are not preconditions, but rather common sense and reasonable requirements, and whatever was agreed upon earlier (during the talks in Istanbul in 2022 – ed.) should be put into practice,” the Russian diplomatic chief said. Finally, Lavrov made it clear that Moscow is “starting to receive signals” from US President-elect Donald Trump’s team of interest in resuming dialog: “This is absolutely reasonable and normal,” Lavrov stressed, expressing hope that “the future Trump administration will fully analyze and understand the reasons that led to the Russian military operation in Ukraine.”
