Russia rejects Trump team's reported peace deal proposals on Ukraine, FM Lavrov says
Russia is dissatisfied with the reported peace deal proposals on Ukraine from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Dec. 29, according to state-owned TASS.
Earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump’s team is considering a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for continued Western arms supplies and the deployment of European peacekeepers to monitor a ceasefire.
Lavrov said the proposal, as outlined in leaks and Trump’s Dec. 12 Time interview, suggests "freezing hostilities along the current line of contact and transferring the responsibility of confronting Russia to Europe."
"We are certainly not satisfied with the proposals sounding on behalf of representatives of the president-elect's team," Lavrov said, specifically rejecting the idea of introducing European peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Reports suggest that Trump discussed these ideas during a Dec. 7 meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump reportedly emphasized Europe’s need to take the lead in deterring Russian aggression.
Lavrov noted that Moscow has received no official signals from Washington regarding these proposals, adding that policy remains under the Biden administration until Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Lavrov expressed Russia’s "willingness to engage" with the new U.S. administration, provided Washington takes the "first move" to restore dialogue severed after the start of Russia’s invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Dec. 26 that Russia aims to "end the conflict" in 2025 while reiterating hopes for a front-line success. Following Putin's comments, Lavrov ridiculed the possibility of a ceasefire, adding that "a ceasefire is a road to nowhere."
Putin expressed openness to dialogue with Trump but maintained Russia’s firm demands, including no territorial concessions and a rejection of Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Trump’s team has yet to outline officially any concrete steps for ending the war, despite his bold claims of achieving peace "within 24 hours."
Tim Zadorozhnyy
