US President Donald Trump's initiative to stop the war in Ukraine and start peace negotiations has encountered difficulties. According to NBC News, this process turned into a heated argument during a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Sources emphasize that during the conversation, Lavrov openly told his American counterpart that Russia is "currently not ready to agree to an immediate ceasefire." In his view, such a decision can only be implemented "after comprehensive and guaranteed peace negotiations have begun." According to an NBC News source, Lavrov's voice was "strained and highly argumentative" during the discussion.
The phone conversation took place on October 20. During the discussion, the heads of the foreign policy departments of both countries also addressed preparations for the second meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. However, after the call, reports spread in the mass media that "preparations for the expected summit in Budapest have been temporarily suspended."
Russian MFA official Sergey Lavrov highlighted in a statement after the conversation ended that "the sides expressed their intention to continue dialogue despite all disagreements."
According to sources, Washington is dissatisfied with Russia's position. Sources close to Marco Rubio indicate that "Lavrov did not move beyond his initial firm demands in the negotiations and still demonstrated that Moscow is aiming to maintain a superior position under the conditions of war."
This conversation demonstrated the extent to which the diplomatic process around Ukraine has become complicated. The Trump administration aimed to achieve the first practical agreement to stop the shooting between Kyiv and Moscow. However, it became clear that Russia's demands for "only after full negotiations begin" have slowed efforts in this direction.
As a reminder, on October 16, Trump and Putin discussed the issue of Ukraine in a phone conversation that lasted two hours. President Trump said "the discussion was positive" and expressed his intention to meet personally soon. However, later the summit in Budapest, which was expected to be held, was temporarily cancelled.
At the same time, American officials are evaluating this situation as "a natural stage in the negotiation process." They noted that the Trump administration has not given up the struggle for peace and that new negotiations may be held in a new format in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Moscow is ready to negotiate "only on the basis of mutually equal conditions." According to him, Russia will not begin a peace process "under unilateral pressure or the threat of sanctions."
Thus, the political process on the issue of Ukraine has once again faced an obstacle due to "a lack of political will and trust." However, experts believe that although Trump's peace initiative has temporarily stalled, the door to diplomacy remains open.
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