Lavrov-Rubio Talks on UNGA Sidelines
Lavrov discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during a meeting with Rubio, with both sides confirming their interest in finding peaceful solutions, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Lavrov emphasized Moscow’s readiness to adhere to the course on Ukraine established by the leaders of the countries at the Alaska summit, the ministry added.
Lavrov noted the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Ukraine and some European countries to prolong the conflict.
Lavrov and Rubio “aligned their clocks” on the complex of bilateral relations, including the restoration of socio-political contacts.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held closed-door talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
The meeting lasted for just under an hour and revolved primarily around the Ukraine conflict, according to the tight-lipped statements made after the conversation by the two sides.
“The Secretary reiterated President [Donald] Trump’s call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war,” the US Department of State said in a statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry offered a slightly more detailed readout of the talks, stating that Lavrov and Rubio had agreed to “continue constructive dialogue between the Russian and US foreign ministries” as well as reaffirmed the importance of the “momentum” generated by the Alaska summit for “normalizing bilateral relations.”
The meeting comes on the heels of a sharp change in Trump’s rhetoric on the conflict following a meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky earlier this week. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the US president said he believes Kiev is “in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back,” with enough support from the EU and NATO. He also branded Russia a “paper tiger,” arguing that it had failed to defeat Ukraine and claiming that Moscow was “in big economic trouble.”
Moscow appeared to brush off the hostile rhetoric, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov jokingly suggesting that Russia was a “real bear” rather than a “paper tiger.” While the country’s economy has been facing certain “problems,” it has largely adapted to the ongoing conflict and withstood the unprecedented Western sanctions, Peskov told Russian business daily RBK on Wednesday.
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It seems as if Lavrov stood like a bear, keeping their feet to the Alaska fire, and told ’em what’s what. The faces were grim on leaving the meeting.
The verbal stridency, defiance and deluded postures of the submitted party is directly proportional to the degree of the humiliation. For both Goldfinger, and Lil’ Narco here. One doesn’t need to be a psychologist or analyst of body language to see the real story is in pinched and constipated faces… Read more »