Moscow signals readiness for Ukraine peace terms that suit Kremlin
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov says Russia is open to new proposals, provided they align with President Vladimir Putin’s objectives and the current military situation.
Russia has indicated it is prepared to consider new proposals for ending the war in Ukraine, provided they align with President Vladimir Putin’s strategic objectives and the “realities on the ground.” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov made the comments in an interview published by News.ru on Friday, suggesting Moscow is seeking to re-engage the Trump administration, which has been preoccupied by its conflict with Iran.
Ryabkov stated that the Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable ideas that meet the goals set by the Russian president. He noted that it is more important to assess the extent to which Washington can influence the decisions of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors, who he said still dream of a “strategic defeat” of Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded on Thursday evening by stating that Ukraine is preparing decisions within its diplomatic team. He emphasised that new approaches are needed in some areas, particularly in the United States, and that Ukraine needs tangible results. Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump at the White House last month to discuss reviving talks and plans for Ukraine to produce Patriot missiles.
The diplomatic developments occur against a backdrop of intensifying military exchanges. Russian ballistic missile strikes killed at least 12 people in Kyiv and its surrounding region on Thursday. Overnight, Russian attacks killed two women in the Kharkiv region, triggering fires at five residential buildings and several cars. Another attack on a home in the Zaporizhia region killed one person and injured another, according to regional governor Ivan Federov.
In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an industrial facility in the Perm region, according to regional governor Dmitry Makhonin. Russian drones also damaged a border crossing with Moldova in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region. Finland’s border guard reported that a suspected Russian reconnaissance plane violated Finnish airspace in the western gulf on Thursday.
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that it has no new information regarding a potential visit from US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Previous US-brokered negotiations at the start of the year failed to reach a settlement, and talks slated for early March were cancelled as the US launched its war on Iran alongside Israel.
