Lavrov dismisses Pompeo’s "peace plan" for Ukraine as fruitless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's proposed "peace plan" for Ukraine, labelling it as irrelevant amidst the ongoing conflict.

Lavrov criticized the influx of speculative settlement proposals, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"I do not see any value in commenting on the myriad of impractical ideas emerging now, especially when the West is realizing the futility of its attempts to defeat Russia and the growing scepticism towards Zelensky."

Lavrov highlighted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has frequently noted that Zelenskyy and his administration have barred negotiations with Russia, pointing to a decree that prohibits talks while Putin remains in office. "If the Western critics want to hold us accountable for not negotiating, they should at least address Zelenskyy's decree," Lavrov said, expressing frustration at what he perceives as a lack of serious engagement from Western nations.

Pompeo’s recent column in The Wall Street Journal proposed a new "peace plan" if Donald Trump were to win the U.S. presidential election. The plan includes a $500 billion lend-lease program for Ukraine, lifting all weapon restrictions, implementing stringent sanctions against Russia, and expediting Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU. According to Pompeo, if Russia agreed to Ukraine's alliance and EU membership, sanctions would be gradually lifted.

Lavrov also mentioned a recent conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who shared details of his talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Lavrov noted that the Chinese stance remains focused on addressing the root causes of the conflict.