Russia Cites Trump’s Past Support and Seeks U.S. Mediation

Ryabkov suggested that Moscow may be seeking to revive the Trump administration’s support for its agenda. The Russian government previously welcomed the United States’ demonstration of “an understanding of Russia’s position”, but Washington has been distracted from mediation efforts amid its war on Iran.

“The Russian Federation is ready to listen to any reasonable proposals and ideas that are in line with the goals set by the Russian president and meet the ‘realities on the ground’,” Ryabkov said. “At this stage, it is more important to what extent Washington is able to influence the decisions of the Kyiv government and its European sponsors, who still dream of a ‘strategic defeat’ of Russia,” he added.

Failed Negotiations and Shifting U.S. Priorities

Several rounds of U.S.-brokered negotiations at the start of the year failed to reach a settlement; Further talks slated for early March were cancelled as the U.S. launched its war on Iran alongside Israel. The meetings followed the circulation of a 28-point, Washington-generated peace plan last November that raised ire for its capitulations to Russian demands.

U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff led the negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv earlier this year, but the Kremlin said on Thursday that it has no new information on a potential visit from the duo. Ukraine is also awaiting the return of the U.S. mediators — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday evening that he was “preparing decisions within the diplomatic team.”

Russia’s Conditions and Rejection of ‘Maximalist’ Demands

Putin has previously demanded that before agreeing to a ceasefire in the war he launched in February 2022, Ukraine must hand over the whole of the eastern Donbas region, demilitarise, and pledge it will not seek to join NATO. Ryabkov also pointed to the Minsk agreements and the 2022 negotiations in Istanbul, saying previous efforts to resolve the conflict had failed because of decisions by Kyiv and some European capitals.

He added that, from Moscow’s perspective, “time is playing against Kyiv and the Europeans.” Ryabkov said Russia still believes the conflict can be resolved through diplomacy but would continue pursuing the goals set by Putin regardless of developments in negotiations. He described contacts between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S — Senator Marco Rubio as part of a broader working dialogue between Moscow and Washington.