The initiative by US President Donald Trump to stop the war in Ukraine and start peace negotiations has encountered problems. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to NBC News, this process turned into a sharp dispute during a phone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Sources emphasized that during the conversation, Lavrov openly told his American counterpart that Russia is not yet ready to immediately cease hostilities.
In his opinion, such a decision can only be made after broad and guaranteed peace negotiations have begun. According to NBC News sources, Lavrov’s voice was strained during the dialogue and intense disputes occurred.
The phone call took place on October 20. During the conversation, the heads of the foreign policy departments of the two countries also discussed preparations for the second meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
However, after the conversation, reports circulated in the media that preparations for the summit expected to be held in Budapest were temporarily suspended. At the end of the conversation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that despite all disagreements, the parties are ready to continue dialogue.
According to sources, Washington was dissatisfied with Russia’s position. People around Marco Rubio said that Lavrov did not retreat from his firm demands during the negotiations and that Moscow is striving to maintain a dominant position in the war conditions.
This conversation clearly demonstrated how complicated the diplomatic process around Ukraine has become. The Trump administration aimed to achieve the first practical agreement to stop hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow.
However, Russia’s willingness to cease hostilities only after full negotiations have begun slowed down this process. It is worth recalling that on October 16, Trump and Putin discussed the Ukraine issue during a two-hour phone call.
President Trump said the conversation went positively and expressed his intention to meet personally soon. However, the summit expected to be held in Budapest was later temporarily canceled.
American officials assess this situation as a natural phase of the negotiation process. They stated that the Trump administration has not given up the fight for peace and that new negotiations in a different format may take place in the coming weeks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that Moscow is ready for negotiations only on the basis of equal terms for both parties. According to him, Russia will not start the peace process under unilateral pressure or the threat of sanctions.
Thus, the political process regarding Ukraine has once again faced obstacles due to a lack of political will and trust. However, experts believe that although Trump’s peace initiative has currently stalled, the door to diplomacy is not yet closed.
