MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. Washington is well aware of Moscow's position on eliminating the causes of the Ukrainian conflict, and threats of sanctions will not change it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.
"Trump's return to the White House, where he has declared his intention to seek a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, has given rise to cautious optimism regarding the potential normalization of relations with the US and beyond. In this spirit, the presidents of Russia and the US held three telephone conversations. We expressed gratitude for US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which the Ukrainian side interrupted in 2022. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin also confirmed the fundamental position of eliminating the root causes of the conflict through political and diplomatic efforts," the senior diplomat noted.
"Otherwise, long-term peace cannot be ensured. In concrete terms, it is necessary to prevent the Ukrainian armed forces from taking advantage of the pause to regroup. This principled position was voiced by the Russian president at a meeting with the leadership of the Foreign Ministry almost a year ago and is well known in Washington. Threats of sanctions will not change it," Ryabkov emphasized.
