Rubio pushes for peace in urgent talks with Lavrov
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday at the request of the Kremlin, the U.S. State Department announced on Monday. Rubio emphasized the need for an immediate end to the war.
What do you need to know?
- Rubio's conversation with Lavrov took place at the Kremlin's request, with the main topic being the need to end the war.
- The United States emphasizes the seriousness of the situation and the pursuit of ending the conflict.
- Russia sets conditions for starting negotiations, including the recognition of the annexation of Crimea and the lifting of sanctions.
What are the key aspects of the talks?
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the request of the Kremlin.
The conversation took place after the visit of special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow. "Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke yesterday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at Lavrov’s request. After Special Envoy Witkoff’s April 25 visit to Moscow, the Secretary underscored to his Russian counterpart the next steps in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and the need to end the war now. The United States is serious about facilitating an end to this senseless war," reads the Washington statement.
What conditions does Russia set?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper "O Globo," listed Russia's conditions for starting talks.
Among them were the international recognition of the annexation of Crimea and other occupied regions of Ukraine, the "demilitarization" and "denazification" of Ukraine, as well as the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of Russian assets.
