Russia Open to 'New Ideas' on Ukraine if They Align with Putin's Goals
Al Jazeera Staff
Russia says it is ready to consider new proposals to end the war in Ukraine as long as they align with President Vladimir Putin's goals and the battlefield situation. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stressed Moscow's openness to 'reasonable ideas,' while noting the U.S. has been distracted from mediation by its campaign against Iran.
Moscow has declared its readiness to listen to new ideas aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, provided these proposals align with President Vladimir Putin's stance, a senior Russian diplomat said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview published on News.ru on Friday that Moscow is open to proposals that match the "realities on the ground."
Observers view Ryabkov's remarks as a sign that Moscow may be seeking to restore U.S. support for its agenda. Russia had previously welcomed Washington's "understanding of Russia's position," but the U.S. has been distracted from its mediating role due to its focus on the military campaign against Iran.
"The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that align with the goals set by the Russian President and meet the 'realities on the ground'," Ryabkov said.
"At this stage, it is more important to see to what extent Washington can influence the decisions of the Kiev authorities and their European sponsors, who still dream of a 'strategic defeat' for Russia," he added.
Putin has previously demanded that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region in the east, demilitarize, and commit to not joining NATO before he would agree to a ceasefire in the war he launched in February 2022.
Several rounds of U.S.-mediated talks earlier this year failed to reach a solution. Further negotiations planned for early March were canceled when the U.S. launched a war against Iran alongside Israel.
The meetings followed the circulation of a 28-point peace plan drafted by Washington in November last year, which sparked outrage for conceding to Russian demands.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led the talks between Moscow and Kiev earlier this year, but the Kremlin said on Thursday they had no new information about a potential visit by the duo.
Ukraine is also awaiting the return of U.S. mediators. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday evening that he was "preparing decisions within the diplomatic group."
"A new approach is needed in some areas, especially in relations with the U.S.," he said, stressing that "Ukraine needs results."
Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House last month, where they discussed resuming negotiations and plans for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles.
Ongoing fighting
On the ground, Russia and Ukraine have escalated deadly attacks in recent weeks, killing dozens and heightening concerns among neighboring countries about the risk of spillover.
Fighting continued overnight. In the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, Russian strikes killed two women, the state emergency service wrote on Telegram. The attack sparked fires in five residential buildings and several cars.
Another strike on a house killed one person and wounded another in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, Governor Ivan Federov said.
In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an industrial facility in the Perm region of the Ural Mountains, according to regional Governor Dmitry Makhonin.
Meanwhile, Russian drones damaged a border crossing with Moldova in the southern Odesa region of Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities said.
Finnish border guards said a suspected Russian reconnaissance aircraft violated Finnish airspace over the western gulf on Thursday.
