In a major setback for President-elect Donald Trump's hopes of swiftly ending the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that the Kremlin was resistant to a peace plan proposed by the incoming president's allies.
Lavrov told Russian state-run outlet Tass that there have been no "official signals regarding a settlement in Ukraine," but Moscow was not receptive to the unofficial ideas that had been floated.
"We are not happy, of course, with the proposals made by members of the Trump team to postpone Ukraine's admission to NATO for 20 years and to station British and European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine," he said, referring to leaked reports of Trump's proposals.
During his sit-down with Tass, Lavrov called for "reliable and legally binding agreements that would eliminate the root causes of the conflict and seal a mechanism precluding the possibility of their violation."
"As for the future of Russian-U.S. relations, we are ready to renew the political dialogue which Washington terminated after the start of the special military operation, if the United States is ready for this," he said. "Since it was the Americans who cut it off, it is for them to make the first move."
Trump, who takes office in less than a month, has not officially released a plan to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict but said in a recent interview with Paris Match that ending the carnage is a "priority."
Trump often said on the campaign trail that he could negotiate a quick end to the war, now nearing its third anniversary.
In an interview with Time magazine earlier this month, Trump said he would not make his proposal public because it would then become "worthless." He also promised he would continue to support Ukraine and would not abandon the embattled country.
"I want to reach an agreement, and the only way you're going to reach an agreement is not to abandon," Trump said.
The incoming president's advisers have reportedly proposed getting Ukraine to the negotiating table by threatening to withhold aid, while simultaneously threatening Russia with increased weapons for Kyiv if Moscow refuses to negotiate.
According to reports, potential solutions to resolve the conflict include withdrawing Ukraine from consideration for NATO membership and supporting a peacekeeping force from Europe in exchange for security assurances.
In a speech on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called NATO membership "achievable," but "only if we fight for this decision at all the necessary levels."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has accused Ukraine of foiling efforts to end the war, has said he is willing to meet with Trump.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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