Lavrov says Russia will honour Alaska commitments, noting “a man's word is his bond”

The Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has argued that the United States had apparently changed its position on the understandings reached at the Alaska summit but insisted that Russia would continue to pursue the objectives set by President Vladimir Putin, noting that “a man's word is his bond.”

Responding to remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the proposals discussed at the meeting had failed Lavrov said the issue was not whether the Anchorage agreements had collapsed, but "who exactly failed," Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

According to him, judging by Secretary Rubio's remarks, “the other side has changed its approach. But the objectives set by President Putin in June 2024, as he has repeatedly emphasized, will be fulfilled."

Lavrov made it clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the Alaska summit with proposals put forward by the United States and approved by President Donald Trump, which Moscow accepted.

"If there is a proposal and there is agreement, then the results reached in Anchorage were indeed agreed upon. President Trump has repeatedly said—and this is no great secret—that it was our proposal, partially based on compromise. We accepted it as a compromise proposal, and any agreement, by definition, must contain an element of compromise," Lavrov emphasised.

He added that Trump had expressed confidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would implement the proposal.

"But he added that President Zelenskyy would do what he had proposed. Well, that didn't happen," Lavrov explained.

He further stressed that Russia continued to favour a political settlement but could do little if Washington now shared the view of European leaders and Ukraine that the Anchorage agreements were no longer valid.

He pointed to statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who, according to Lavrov, declared that the Anchorage understandings were effectively dead.

"If those are the assessments the Americans now share, then what can we do?" Lavrov asked.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov