Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s speech at the UN General Assembly was delivered to a virtually empty hall. Nevertheless, the diplomat stated that Moscow is pinning “certain hopes” for ending the war in Ukraine on future negotiations with Washington.
Lavrov spoke to a half-empty UN hall and pinned hopes for ending the war on negotiations with the US
“We are pinning our hopes on the continuation of Russian-American dialogue, especially after the Alaska summit,” Lavrov noted. According to him, the current US administration’s position “reflects not only a desire to seek realistic options for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, but also a desire to pursue pragmatic cooperation without ideological pressure.”
He also reiterated the assertion that Vladimir Putin “was open to negotiations to address the causes of the conflict from the very beginning.”
Context: Failed negotiations
In August, the US and Russian leaders met in Alaska. Following the meeting, US President Donald Trump invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to the White House to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump then announced that he was preparing a separate meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, and later a trilateral summit with the US.
According to the US, Putin allegedly agreed to the meeting, but the Kremlin denied this. Recently, in an interview with Fox News, Zelenskyy emphasized that Kyiv is ready for negotiations and even proposed holding the meeting in Kazakhstan. However, he claimed that Putin is deliberately avoiding dialogue, preferring to continue the war.
Russia Expands Underwater Reconnaissance Near Europe
Russia is stepping up its underwater surveillance along Europe’s coasts, raising fears that it could target strategic communication lines.
NATO has grown increasingly worried about Russian naval activity around submarine cables. These cables are vital for Europe’s internet access, military communications, energy flows, and financial transactions.
