Washington - Saba:
Russia does not intend to disclose details of the talks with the United States regarding the Ukrainian settlement until they are officially completed, Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.
In an interview with CBS News, the Russian Foreign Minister added: "we're very polite people, and unlike some others, we do not publicly discuss what is discussed in the negotiations. Otherwise, the negotiations will not be serious."
The Russian Foreign Minister also suggested discussing this issue with Volodymyr Zelensky, as he is "happy to talk to anyone through the media, even US President Donald Trump."
Earlier, Lavrov told the American network that Trump is "perhaps the only leader on earth who understands the need to address the root causes" of the Ukrainian crisis. He added that Trump "rightly" believes the two sides are "moving in the right direction," but added that there are some areas that need "refining."
Earlier today, Trump said via Truth Social: "I just arrived in Rome. It was a good day of talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to reaching an agreement, and the two sides should meet now, at the highest levels, to finalize it." He added that "most of the key points have been agreed upon."
On Friday, Trump said via Truth Social that "work on a comprehensive peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is proceeding smoothly, and success appears to be in the offing."
Trump later noted that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who visited Russia yesterday, had a "good meeting."
For his part, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Friday that the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Witkoff lasted about three hours and was constructive and useful.
Ushakov told reporters: "We had a three-hour conversation, and it was very constructive and useful in nature."
Trump had previously announced his intention to "end the conflict" in Ukraine, talk to Russia and Ukraine about a settlement, and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. However, the Russian side has not confirmed any progress in this regard in recent days. This is due to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's hardening stance on a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and the support of several European countries for his position, with the aim of prolonging the war.
Last Wednesday, talks were scheduled to be held in London between American, European, and Ukrainian delegations to resolve the conflict.
According to the Washington Post, the United States intended to propose that European countries and Ukraine recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, while the Kyiv regime's allies hoped to obtain security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff canceled the visit, and the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany subsequently withdrew from the meeting. Consequently, the meeting was held at a lower level.
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