Russia says it is ready to negotiate if Trump initiates it

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations says Moscow is ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine if Mr Trump initiates it, but with conditions.

Mr. Trump has declared that he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours - Photo: AFP

On November 14, Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, raised the issue of negotiations with Mr. Trump. US President-elect Donald Trump once said he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict "in 24 hours". Mr. Trump's victory in the US presidential election earlier this month has made Ukraine and its European allies worried about Washington's support for Kiev in the coming time. "Mr. Trump promised to solve the Ukraine crisis overnight. Okay, let him try. But we are realists, of course we understand that this will never happen. But if he initiates or proposes something to start the political process, that is very welcome," Reuters news agency quoted Mr. Gatilov as saying.

However, the Russian ambassador stressed that any negotiations must be based on the realities on the ground, with Moscow having the advantage on the battlefield, he said. Russian forces are advancing at their fastest pace in a year in Ukraine and now control about a fifth of its neighbor's territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that peace will only be discussed when Russia withdraws all its forces and returns all territory, including Crimea. Speaking to European leaders last week, Zelensky said that giving in to Russia would be "suicidal for all of Europe." Mr. Gatilov said Mr. Trump's election opened up the possibility of dialogue between the United States and Russia, but it would be difficult to restore relations. "The US political elite, regardless of domestic political changes, (Washington) has always pursued a stance of containing Moscow and this tendency is deeply ingrained. Unfortunately, the change of administration has not changed much. The only change (that can) happen is dialogue between the two countries, which has been lacking in the past few years," he said.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nga-tuyen-bo-san-sang-dam-phan-neu-ong-trump-khoi-xuong-20241114210940233.htm