“Russia does not negotiate the status of its territory,” Lavrov told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, adding that the question of Crimea was “closed” and that Russian forces would maintain control of the Zaporizhzhia facility.
Lavrov said talks with Washington over ending the war were ongoing but “not supposed to be public,” and that some elements still needed to be “fine-tuned.”
He quoted Trump as believing “we are moving in the right direction,” and praised him as “probably the only leader on Earth who recognized the need to address the root causes of this situation.”
Asked about Russia’s overnight strikes on Kyiv that killed at least 12 people, Lavrov said Moscow only “targets military goals or civilian sites used by the military,” repeating President Vladimir Putin’s assurances.
On Thursday, Trump wrote “Vladimir, STOP!” in a social media post, saying he was “not happy” with the timing of the strikes as he worked to reach a peace deal.
Lavrov also praised the Trump administration’s “healthy-minded” approach and said he was grateful for its “peace efforts,” in contrast to what he described as unproductive discussions among some European nations.
Vice President J.D. Vance has warned that if Russia and Ukraine do not agree to a peace plan soon, the United States may walk away, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled willingness to return to the negotiating table and sign a minerals deal with Washington.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 after first sending troops into eastern Ukraine in 2014. Both Washington and European capitals have rejected Russia’s justification for the war, though Trump has publicly criticized Ukraine’s leader and argued that Russia “wants peace.”
(jh)
Source: PAP, CBS