Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York amid ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.
The conversation took place as part of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting was behind closed doors and lasted about 50 minutes.
The US State Department confirmed that Rubio and Lavrov discussed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as bilateral relations between the US and Russia. After the talks, Rubio said that he did not consider it useful to give public assessments of the meeting.
Moscow: We are ready for a political solution
After the talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Lavrov had confirmed Moscow's readiness for a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict.
However, Russia is setting a condition that the future solution be based on eliminating what Moscow defines as the “root causes“ of the conflict.
Lavrov also stated that Moscow does not accept proposals that, according to the Russian side, would lead to a prolongation of the conflict. The Russian statement on the subject refers to the actions of Kiev and its European partners.
During a meeting of the UN Security Council, Lavrov stated that Russia does not intend to cease hostilities just to start negotiations. According to him, Moscow prefers a long-term peace agreement to a temporary ceasefire.
Moscow wants “normalization“ of relations with the US
An important emphasis of the talks between Lavrov and Rubio was placed on Russian-American relations themselves.
Moscow states that their “soon“ improvement in accordance with the agreements between the presidents of the two countries.
Among the topics discussed are economic cooperation, cultural and humanitarian contacts, facilitating travel between Russia and the United States, and the restoration of the normal work of diplomatic missions.
Russia also raises the issue of the return of Russian property in the United States, which Moscow defines as de facto confiscated.
The two sides have agreed to continue the constructive dialogue between their foreign policy departments.
Ukraine remains the main contentious issue
Despite the request to continue diplomatic contacts, the positions of Moscow and Washington on the Ukrainian conflict continue to differ.
The Russian side insists on a solution that addresses the causes that the Kremlin defines as the root of the conflict. At the same time, Moscow rejects the idea of a short-term ceasefire as a sufficient step towards a settlement.
At the Security Council meeting, Lavrov said that Russia is ready to negotiate for a "sustainable and just peace", but sees no point in a temporary ceasefire without a broader political agreement.
Lavrov also sharply criticized European countries, accusing them of coordinating their actions with Kiev and supporting the continuation of the conflict. This is the position of the Russian government and does not constitute an independently established fact.
Lavrov held a series of meetings in New York
In addition to the conversation with Rubio, the Russian Foreign Minister held numerous bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
On September 24, Lavrov spoke with the foreign ministers of Slovakia and Hungary, as well as representatives of Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Switzerland and Morocco.
The talks with the individual countries discussed bilateral relations, economic cooperation, the situation around Ukraine and a number of international issues.
The meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis deserves special attention. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow has stated that Switzerland no longer sees the country as a reliable neutral mediator. The two sides also discussed the future of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
What's next?
Lavrov remains in New York for the ongoing week of high-level meetings at the UN General Assembly. The main diplomatic attention around him, however, remains focused on relations with the United States.
The meeting with Rubio shows that the channel for direct dialogue between Moscow and Washington remains functional. At the same time, Russia's public positions on Ukraine show that Moscow does not see a temporary ceasefire as the ultimate goal and is pushing for a broader political agreement.
Against this backdrop, the talks between Lavrov and Rubio are yet another attempt to maintain the diplomatic channel between the two countries, while the issue of the conditions for ending the war remains unresolved.
Sources: Reuters, US State Department, BTA