Prystaiko: US and Ukraine discussing “starting positions” for negotiations with Russia

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that Washington and Kyiv are most likely currently working out the “starting positions” of a conflict ceasefire agreement, which will then be presented to Russia.

He made the statement in an interview with Radio NV.

In Prystaiko’s assessment, ceasefire proposals reached in Anchorage by presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin did not receive Ukraine’s support — as Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently reported.

Despite this, the former Ukrainian foreign minister emphasized that no matter how minor a partner Kyiv may be for Washington, its point of view is respected and taken into account there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, disputed Rubio’s assessment that the Anchorage agreements had failed. According to Lavrov, before speaking of failure, it is necessary to determine exactly who failed to fulfill the agreements.

On July 23, Lavrov and Rubio held talks in Manila. The Russian foreign minister briefed the secretary of state on the current situation in the Ukrainian conflict zone and also pointed to the inadmissibility of further pumping weapons into Kyiv. Rubio, for his part, stated that new ideas and proposals are needed to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had previously called on the United States to clarify the situation regarding the agreements reached in Anchorage.