On Wednesday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister announced that efforts towards a possible peace agreement to conclude the conflict in Ukraine have significantly stalled, attributing this setback to the actions of Kyiv’s European allies that have disrupted earlier diplomatic progress.
“Regrettably, we must acknowledge that the strong momentum we had from the discussions in Anchorage aimed at reaching an accord has largely dwindled,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated, as reported by state media. “This situation is a consequence of the destructive conduct of the Europeans.”
A brief summit took place on August 15 between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, which was perceived as a chance to break the stalemate in Ukraine peace talks. However, the meeting yielded no significant advancements, and Trump has since adopted a harsher stance towards Moscow, expressing consistent dissatisfaction with the Russian leader.
Tensions have escalated further as U.S. officials consider the deployment of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, a move that Putin has cautioned could lead to a “whole new level of escalation.”
This week, Trump informed reporters at the White House that he had “kind of made a decision” regarding the dispatch of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine due to his increasing impatience with Putin’s unwillingness to engage in direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ryabkov remarked on Wednesday that such a step “would represent a significant, perhaps even qualitative, shift in the situation,” but stressed that it would not deter Russia’s “commitment to achieving our declared objectives.”
“I hope that those advocating for Washington to take such actions fully grasp the seriousness and complexity of the potential repercussions,” the deputy foreign minister declared to state media. “We urge the U.S. leadership and military to approach this matter with clarity, reason, and responsibility.”
Ryabkov also commented on how attempts to stabilize relations with the U.S. are failing, placing the blame for the deterioration on America’s actions.
“What we have now resembles a structure of relationships that has become unstable and is in the process of collapse, for which the Americans are responsible,” the Russian official stated. “It’s generally much easier to destroy than to construct.”
He added that Moscow is willing to “reconstruct” relationships with the U.S. but does not perceive any willingness from the other side to move in that direction.
