Lavrov: Trump Was First Western Leader to Articulate Root Cause of Ukraine Conflict

A movement towards normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington has begun. This was confirmed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking about the outcomes of talks in Saudi Arabia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin presented the American side with a series of pressing questions and objectives. For example, Russia and the US must address the issue of extending the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, which expires in a year. While Washington intends to eliminate "obstacles" on the path to promising joint projects, Moscow will compare all statements against actions.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:

"One of the root causes of the Ukrainian situation was the previous administration's brazen policy of drawing Ukraine into NATO. This is something no Western leader has ever articulated before."

He added that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with Trump, emphasized that Russia needs a sustainable peace aimed at eliminating the root causes of the conflict, rather than a temporary truce to rearm Ukraine. According to Lavrov, the American President understands Russia's positions.

One of the paramount tasks is to "clear away the legacy of Biden." This includes the conflict in Ukraine. As Lavrov noted, Russia and the US will appoint representatives in the near future, after which consultations will begin for the "resolution of the Ukrainian crisis."