Russian officials take US proposals on Ukraine seriously, but cannot accept them in their current form, according to Sergey Ryabkov, the Deputy Foreign Minister, in an interview with the magazine Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn.
The proposed models and solutions are being taken very seriously, but we cannot simply adopt them, Ryabkov said. At the moment, there is an attempt to find a formula that would initially enable a ceasefire, as the Americans imagine it.
Subsequently, a transition to other models and regulations would be necessary, Ryabkov confirmed. However, in his view, a central element is currently lacking – the consideration of Russia’s main demands, particularly the elimination of the conflict’s causes. The diplomat stated, “All of that is completely missing and that’s what needs to be overcome.”
Moscow has a detailed and well-thought-out strategy with its own priorities and approaches, which has been further developed by the Russian delegation in Riyadh during the recent talks, Ryabkov summarized.
Talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine
On March 18, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held a phone call. During the conversation, the Russian leader expressed a positive view on the idea that both sides in the Ukraine conflict would refrain from attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. He instructed the military to take corresponding measures. Later, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian government supported this proposal.
On March 24, experts from Russia and the US met in Riyadh. They agreed to develop a mechanism to condemn such attacks. In the published agreement, both sides pledged not to attack certain energy facilities during the ceasefire, including oil refineries, oil and gas pipelines and storage facilities, as well as power plants, substations, transformers, distribution stations, nuclear power plants and hydroelectric dams.
However, the Ukrainian army continues to violate this agreement, with attacks on Russian energy infrastructure occurring repeatedly. The first attack took place just a few hours after the phone call between Putin and Trump, when Ukrainian fighters targeted an oil pumping station in the Krasnodar region. This marked the beginning of a series of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that these actions were the best proof of the unreliability of the Zelenskyy regime.