Russia open to Ukraine peace talks if Trump takes the lead UN Ambassador says

Russia has indicated its willingness to engage in negotiations with Ukraine, provided certain conditions are met, notably if President-elect Donald Trump takes the lead in brokering the talks.

"Russia remains open to peace talks with Ukraine under certain conditions, particularly if former US President Donald Trump facilitates the negotiations," Russian Ambassador to the UN, Gennady Gatilov, said, Caliber.Az reports.

He emphasized this openness but made clear that any discussions must acknowledge Russia’s current territorial gains.

“Trump promised to resolve the Ukrainian crisis overnight. OK, let him try. But we people are realists; of course, we realize that it will never happen,” Gatilov remarked. He added, “But if he starts or offers something to initiate a political process, it is welcome.” Gatilov expressed hope that Trump's potential return to power could open new avenues for dialogue with the United States, though he remained sceptical about the possibility of resetting strained relations.

In the United States, President-elect Donald Trump has made clear his commitment to addressing the Ukraine crisis urgently. Trump stated, “We will work on [the situation] in the Middle East, and we will work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. This has to end. I've seen reports — thousands of people have been killed in three days, they were soldiers. But whether it's soldiers or people in the cities, we're going to work on it,” he declared during a speech at the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

However, in Russia, there is scepticism about any peace agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with Marina Kim for the “New World” project, reinforced President Vladimir Putin’s stance. Lavrov explained that any decision to negotiate must come from a position beyond Zelenskyy’s authority.

“President Putin has repeatedly said that we have never refused to negotiate. It is clear that it will not be Zelenskyy who decides this,” Lavrov stated. He further criticized the portrayal of Ukraine wanting peace talks and Russia refusing them. “Putin has repeatedly said that Zelenskyy should at least repeal the two-year-old decree that bans negotiations with Putin's government. I won’t even elaborate further,” Lavrov stressed.

Meanwhile, NATO leaders maintain that the choice to initiate peace talks lies with Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, speaking alongside Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, underlined that Ukraine must negotiate from a position of strength. “Only the Ukrainian government can decide when to start negotiations with Russia on how to stop it,” Rutte said. “But they have to do it from a position of strength, and that's why we need to continue to supply defensive assistance to Ukraine to ensure that they will be in that position of strength when the time comes.”

In a related development, European nations are urging US President Joe Biden to bolster support for Ukraine before his term ends. European leaders are making informal requests for increased weapons and artillery supplies for Kyiv, along with tougher sanctions on Russia’s critical revenue streams. Though Biden’s remaining time in office is limited, the administration is reportedly already advancing new sanctions targeting Russia’s oil fleet and North Korea, aiming to implement them by the end of November.

By Tamilla Hasanova