Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday that Moscow has agreed to demonstrate "flexibility" on several issues raised by President Donald Trump during their Aug. 15 summit, even as Trump appears to be hardening his public stance on Ukraine.
Lavrov told reporters there is no scheduled meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he said Putin is prepared to meet once a clear agenda is set. He accused Kyiv of hindering peace efforts and rejecting all Russian proposals.
The comments come a day after Trump, in a Truth Social post, suggested Ukraine must be allowed to strike Russian territory if it hopes to prevail.
"It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invader's country," Trump wrote Thursday, warning of "interesting times ahead."
Trump's latest remarks followed his Alaska meeting with Putin last week, where he greeted the Russian leader warmly before declaring "no deal" on a ceasefire and warning of "severe consequences."
Analysts noted a visible shift in Trump's body language and rhetoric since that encounter, as he has pivoted from seeking compromise to voicing support for stronger Ukrainian counterattacks.
Trump also drew Cold War parallels by posting a photo of himself confronting Putin alongside the iconic 1959 image of President Richard Nixon jabbing Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev during the "Kitchen Debate."
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