Russia signals openness to US talks on Ukraine war

• Russia expresses readiness for talks with the U.S.: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow is prepared to cooperate with Washington to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
• Talks in Paris: Marco Rubio briefed Lavrov on the discussions in Paris, which included representatives from the USA, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
• Russia's conditions: Russia emphasizes that its conditions for ending the war include the recognition of the annexation of four Ukrainian regions and Ukraine's withdrawal from plans to join NATO.

The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Sergey Lavrov over the phone about the discussions in Paris, which included representatives from the USA, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement, Lavrov confirmed "Moscow's readiness to continue joint work with American colleagues with the aim of eliminating the original causes of the Ukrainian crisis."

"The Foreign Minister and Secretary of State concurred on the necessity to maintain prompt communication channels, particularly in light of forthcoming meetings scheduled by American and European officials with Ukrainian representatives next week," according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Reuters notes that Russia consistently asserts that its conditions for ending the war include, among other things, formal recognition by Ukraine of the annexation of its four regions and the abandonment of any plans to join NATO.