According to another U.S. leak reported by Reuters, the key obstacle to holding the planned summit in Budapest appears to be Russia’s refusal to agree to a temporary ceasefire.
A diplomatic thriller unfolds, as the U.S.–Russia negotiations over organizing a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Hungary have turned into an unprecedented diplomatic thriller, with the U.S. president announcing that within two days — by October 23 — he will have made and announced the final decision of the U.S. administration.
In other words, by Thursday, October 23, it will be clear whether the United States will take part in a summit aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, alongside the Russian leadership in the Hungarian capital.
It is worth noting that during their October 16 phone conversation, Putin and Trump had agreed in principle to organize a summit on ending the Ukrainian crisis — with Budapest seen as the most likely venue. However, it now appears that U.S. diplomacy has shifted course, making a complete 180-degree turn.
Trump: “On October 23 I will announce my final decision on the summit with Putin”
Within the next two days, a final decision is expected regarding the U.S.–Russia summit in Budapest, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, October 21, during a meeting with reporters at the White House.
Trump was asked to clarify earlier remarks about a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he reportedly said he did not want to “waste his time.”
“I didn’t say that. I didn’t say it would be a waste of time,” the White House occupant replied, adding, “A lot is happening on that front.
We’ll update you on our actions within the next two days. A lot is happening.”
The White House leak suggesting a breakdown – and Moscow and Budapest’s denials
There are no plans for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “in the near future,” a White House official told the BBC late on Tuesday, October 21, suggesting that the planned summit may be heading toward collapse.
However, in separate statements issued later, the Russian and Hungarian foreign ministries dismissed this, calling it a disinformation campaign surrounding the Budapest summit, and spoke openly of an attempted act of diplomatic sabotage by the West and Ukraine.
It should be noted that last Thursday, October 16, Trump had announced that he would meet Putin in Budapest within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, both countries had been preparing a preparatory meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week. The White House, however, later stated that the two had held a “productive” phone conversation and that an in-person meeting was no longer necessary.
The West proposes a ceasefire – Russia seeks a permanent solution to the Ukrainian crisis
The White House has not provided further details on the cause of the alleged leak about the collapse of negotiations with Russia.
Trump had discussed the Budapest summit with Putin a day before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
Multiple Western reports described that meeting as “confrontational,” with American media claiming that Trump pressured Zelensky to recognize Russian sovereignty over the Donbass as part of a broader deal with Moscow.
However, on Monday, Trump expressed support for the ceasefire proposal put forward by Kyiv and European leaders, which would effectively freeze the conflict along the current front line.
“Let it stay as it is,” Trump declared.
For its part, Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of freezing the current contact line.
Moscow, said Lavrov on Tuesday, October 21, is interested only in a “long-term, sustainable peace,” implying that a frozen line of contact would amount merely to a temporary truce.
Reuters: Reuters: Ceasefire issue becomes the Main sticking point
Russia’s stance on a ceasefire in Ukraine appears to have put the planned Putin–Trump meeting in Budapest at risk, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources.
According to these sources, Moscow’s refusal to agree to an immediate ceasefire has effectively put the preparations for the meeting on ice.
Two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the postponement of the meeting between Lavrov and Rubio is an indication that Washington may no longer want the summit to take place if Moscow does not soften its demands.
“I think the Russians asked for too much, and it became clear to the Americans that Trump couldn’t make a deal in Budapest,” one source said.
NBC News journalist Garrett Haake expressed a similar view, citing a senior White House official.
According to that official, the phone call between Rubio and Lavrov was productive,
but President Trump believes the parties are not yet sufficiently prepared to advance negotiations.
Earlier in the United Kingdom, it was reported that Putin has raised the issue of the legitimacy of Ukraine’s ‘unconstitutional’ president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
NBC: Trump–Putin meeting up in the air
Preparations for the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump in Hungary have been suspended, according to an earlier report by NBC News journalist Garrett Haacke on the social media platform X, citing a senior White House official.
“The preparation for the Trump–Putin summit in Budapest is currently ‘up in the air’,” the reporter quoted the senior official as saying.
According to Haacke, the phone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was “productive,” yet Trump concluded that both sides were not sufficiently prepared for negotiations at this stage.
Meanwhile, two European diplomats told Reuters that the postponement of the preparatory meeting between Rubio and Lavrov could also signal a suspension of negotiations between the leaders of Russia and the United States.
Zelensky: We propose a ceasefire along the contact line
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to overlook the realities on the battlefield, as he once again proposed launching a peace process beginning with a ceasefire along the current front line, followed by negotiations. He made the statement during his evening address posted on his Telegram channel.
“Ukraine has once again expressed its readiness to end the war.
We met with the President of the United States and agreed that this is how we will try to organize dialogue — along the existing lines,” Zelensky said.
The head of the Kyiv regime stressed that the current front line could mark the beginning of a diplomatic process to resolve the conflict.
On October 20, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed at a press briefing that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass had been discussed during talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
According to the Ukrainian leader, the U.S. special envoy had pushed for this idea, but Zelensky rejected such conditions, declaring that Kyiv would not retreat from the region under pressure.
Zelensky also expressed willingness to exchange Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk missiles.
Previously, a former Ukrainian Prime Minister stated that the United States could potentially seek to remove Zelensky from power.
Zakharova "bomb": The Trump–Putin meeting has not been canceled — The “party of war” is spreading propaganda
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on reports circulating about a potential meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
In an interview with Kp.ru, the diplomat described such claims as “a genuine propaganda stunt by the party of war.”
“A true information bomb from the side of the war,” Zakharova declared.
It should be noted that on Tuesday, October 21, NBC News journalist Garrett Haacke, citing a senior White House official, reported that preparations for the U.S.–Russia summit in Budapest are currently on hold.
According to the American government official, the phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was “productive.”
However, President Donald Trump believes that both sides are not yet sufficiently prepared for negotiations to “move forward.”
Shock statement from Fico: The EU is falsely sabotaging the Trump–Putin meeting — Brussels acts like a “government of war”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico argued that if the European Union truly wants peace in Ukraine, it must do everything possible to ensure that the meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, takes place in Budapest as soon as possible.
“If the EU truly wants immediate peace in Ukraine, which I doubt, then it must do everything possible to ensure that the Trump–Putin meeting is held in Budapest without obstacles and as soon as possible.
The organization of the Trump–Putin summit as soon as possible, without interference and with the full support of the EU, is my official position,” the prime minister wrote on his Facebook page.
According to Fico, the EU is clearly trying to obstruct the Budapest summit, even though its date has not yet been set.
“I have always said that the EU has become a war cabinet. The majority of EU member states support the war in Ukraine, naively believing that this will weaken or even defeat Russia,” Fico wrote.
Cynical publicity stunt — Zelensky and the EU now propose a “12-point peace plan for Ukraine”
Europe and Ukraine are working on a 12-point plan to end the conflict along the current front line, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to Brussels.
“Europe and Ukraine are preparing a 12-point proposal to end the conflict (...). The Peace Council, chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, will oversee the implementation of the plan,” sources told the outlet.
According to those sources, the plan includes a gradual lifting of sanctions against Russia.
However, the article’s authors noted that the document stipulates the return of $300 billion from the Russian Central Bank’s frozen reserves only after Moscow “agrees to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
On October 18, it was reported that Trump intends to propose freezing the current front line as a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
However, according to journalists, such an outcome would be difficult for the Ukrainian authorities to accept.
European torpedo and Polish provocations amid negotiations — “We cannot guarantee Putin’s safe arrival in Hungary”
Poland will not guarantee the safe passage of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a potential meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said, as reported by Onet.
“We cannot guarantee that an independent court will not order the Polish government to stop the plane in order to hand the suspect over to The Hague,” Sikorski stated.
“I believe the Russian side is aware of this.
Therefore, if this summit takes place — hopefully with the participation of the victim of aggression — the aircraft will take a different route,” the Polish Foreign Minister added.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
The ICC accuses the Russian side, among other things, of the “deportation” of children whom Russian authorities relocated from Ukrainian conflict zones to safe areas in an effort to protect them from missile strikes.
At the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the ICC’s move to “arrest” Putin unacceptable, stressing that Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and considers any of its decisions invalid.
Immediate warning from Russia – Poles told to “stop joking” about attacking Putin’s plane – “We will obliterate them”
The threats made by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski about the possible forcible seizure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aircraft are “irresponsible and provocative,” said Yuri Shvytkin, Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, in comments to Gazeta.Ru.
“With such statements, the Polish Foreign Minister is threatening the very existence of states like Ukraine and Poland. Any provocation against our President, or even an attempt at such a provocation, will trigger an immediate response,” the lawmaker stressed.
According to Shvytkin, such remarks once again demonstrate that “the European Union wants war, not peace.”
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski had stated in an interview with Radio Rodzina that the Russian President’s plane could be “forcibly landed” if it entered Polish airspace.
He recalled that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader and that Warsaw has obligations related to that decision.
Previously, Russia had not ruled out the possibility that EU member states could stage a provocation involving Putin’s plane.
Russia on Rubio–Lavrov meeting: “You can’t postpone something that was never scheduled”
Russia will continue to face deceptive actions from Western media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters earlier, commenting on media reports about the alleged postponement of a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I want to emphasize that you cannot postpone something that has not been agreed upon.
And in the future, I am sure, we will encounter situations where various information outlets, especially those from the West, will unjustifiably engage in disinformation efforts — to manufacture news, to provoke speculation, to raise questions — all of it replicated and analyzed in ways that serve Western interests,” Ryabkov said, indirectly referring to CNN, which, citing White House sources, claimed that the Lavrov–Rubio meeting planned for recent days had been postponed indefinitely.
Destructive forces
According to Ryabkov, the European Union and NATO countries are acting as destructive forces on the international stage, working to undermine every constructive initiative.
“The countries belonging to the EU and NATO are working toward the failure of every effort.
In other words, there is no scenario that interests them except one that harms Russia, that damages our positions and complicates the resolution of the issues before us.
That is their sole goal.
Today, this is the most destructive force in international affairs.
Therefore, it is not at all surprising that they are engaged in various subversive political activities.
We are prepared for this, we understand how to deal with it,” Ryabkov said.
Ongoing discussions
Russia and the United States are currently processing the issues discussed during the phone conversation between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio, Ryabkov noted.
“The essence of the situation is that the communication between the Presidents — in fact, the phone conversations between President Putin and President Trump last week — included the topic of next steps.
One of the directions of those steps is, of course, the contact between Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Rubio.
That contact took place yesterday, and we are now working through what was discussed,” the senior diplomat stated.
Ryabkov was asked whether the discussion between Lavrov and Rubio included the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
“I am not ready to disclose the contents of such exchanges.
The essence of closed-door work is that certain topics simply cannot be made public,” Ryabkov replied.
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In other words, by Thursday, October 23, it will be clear whether the United States will take part in a summit aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, alongside the Russian leadership in the Hungarian capital.
It is worth noting that during their October 16 phone conversation, Putin and Trump had agreed in principle to organize a summit on ending the Ukrainian crisis — with Budapest seen as the most likely venue. However, it now appears that U.S. diplomacy has shifted course, making a complete 180-degree turn.
Trump: “On October 23 I will announce my final decision on the summit with Putin”
Within the next two days, a final decision is expected regarding the U.S.–Russia summit in Budapest, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, October 21, during a meeting with reporters at the White House.
Trump was asked to clarify earlier remarks about a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he reportedly said he did not want to “waste his time.”
“I didn’t say that. I didn’t say it would be a waste of time,” the White House occupant replied, adding, “A lot is happening on that front.
We’ll update you on our actions within the next two days. A lot is happening.”
The White House leak suggesting a breakdown – and Moscow and Budapest’s denials
There are no plans for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “in the near future,” a White House official told the BBC late on Tuesday, October 21, suggesting that the planned summit may be heading toward collapse.
However, in separate statements issued later, the Russian and Hungarian foreign ministries dismissed this, calling it a disinformation campaign surrounding the Budapest summit, and spoke openly of an attempted act of diplomatic sabotage by the West and Ukraine.
It should be noted that last Thursday, October 16, Trump had announced that he would meet Putin in Budapest within two weeks to discuss the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, both countries had been preparing a preparatory meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week. The White House, however, later stated that the two had held a “productive” phone conversation and that an in-person meeting was no longer necessary.
The West proposes a ceasefire – Russia seeks a permanent solution to the Ukrainian crisis
The White House has not provided further details on the cause of the alleged leak about the collapse of negotiations with Russia.
Trump had discussed the Budapest summit with Putin a day before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
Multiple Western reports described that meeting as “confrontational,” with American media claiming that Trump pressured Zelensky to recognize Russian sovereignty over the Donbass as part of a broader deal with Moscow.
However, on Monday, Trump expressed support for the ceasefire proposal put forward by Kyiv and European leaders, which would effectively freeze the conflict along the current front line.
“Let it stay as it is,” Trump declared.
For its part, Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of freezing the current contact line.
Moscow, said Lavrov on Tuesday, October 21, is interested only in a “long-term, sustainable peace,” implying that a frozen line of contact would amount merely to a temporary truce.
Reuters: Reuters: Ceasefire issue becomes the Main sticking point
Russia’s stance on a ceasefire in Ukraine appears to have put the planned Putin–Trump meeting in Budapest at risk, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources.
According to these sources, Moscow’s refusal to agree to an immediate ceasefire has effectively put the preparations for the meeting on ice.
Two diplomatic sources told Reuters that the postponement of the meeting between Lavrov and Rubio is an indication that Washington may no longer want the summit to take place if Moscow does not soften its demands.
“I think the Russians asked for too much, and it became clear to the Americans that Trump couldn’t make a deal in Budapest,” one source said.
NBC News journalist Garrett Haake expressed a similar view, citing a senior White House official.
According to that official, the phone call between Rubio and Lavrov was productive,
but President Trump believes the parties are not yet sufficiently prepared to advance negotiations.
Earlier in the United Kingdom, it was reported that Putin has raised the issue of the legitimacy of Ukraine’s ‘unconstitutional’ president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
NBC: Trump–Putin meeting up in the air
Preparations for the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Donald Trump in Hungary have been suspended, according to an earlier report by NBC News journalist Garrett Haacke on the social media platform X, citing a senior White House official.
“The preparation for the Trump–Putin summit in Budapest is currently ‘up in the air’,” the reporter quoted the senior official as saying.
According to Haacke, the phone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was “productive,” yet Trump concluded that both sides were not sufficiently prepared for negotiations at this stage.
Meanwhile, two European diplomats told Reuters that the postponement of the preparatory meeting between Rubio and Lavrov could also signal a suspension of negotiations between the leaders of Russia and the United States.
Zelensky: We propose a ceasefire along the contact line
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to overlook the realities on the battlefield, as he once again proposed launching a peace process beginning with a ceasefire along the current front line, followed by negotiations. He made the statement during his evening address posted on his Telegram channel.
“Ukraine has once again expressed its readiness to end the war.
We met with the President of the United States and agreed that this is how we will try to organize dialogue — along the existing lines,” Zelensky said.
The head of the Kyiv regime stressed that the current front line could mark the beginning of a diplomatic process to resolve the conflict.
On October 20, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed at a press briefing that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass had been discussed during talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
According to the Ukrainian leader, the U.S. special envoy had pushed for this idea, but Zelensky rejected such conditions, declaring that Kyiv would not retreat from the region under pressure.
Zelensky also expressed willingness to exchange Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk missiles.
Previously, a former Ukrainian Prime Minister stated that the United States could potentially seek to remove Zelensky from power.
Zakharova "bomb": The Trump–Putin meeting has not been canceled — The “party of war” is spreading propaganda
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on reports circulating about a potential meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
In an interview with Kp.ru, the diplomat described such claims as “a genuine propaganda stunt by the party of war.”
“A true information bomb from the side of the war,” Zakharova declared.
It should be noted that on Tuesday, October 21, NBC News journalist Garrett Haacke, citing a senior White House official, reported that preparations for the U.S.–Russia summit in Budapest are currently on hold.
According to the American government official, the phone call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was “productive.”
However, President Donald Trump believes that both sides are not yet sufficiently prepared for negotiations to “move forward.”
Shock statement from Fico: The EU is falsely sabotaging the Trump–Putin meeting — Brussels acts like a “government of war”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico argued that if the European Union truly wants peace in Ukraine, it must do everything possible to ensure that the meeting between the Presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, takes place in Budapest as soon as possible.
“If the EU truly wants immediate peace in Ukraine, which I doubt, then it must do everything possible to ensure that the Trump–Putin meeting is held in Budapest without obstacles and as soon as possible.
The organization of the Trump–Putin summit as soon as possible, without interference and with the full support of the EU, is my official position,” the prime minister wrote on his Facebook page.
According to Fico, the EU is clearly trying to obstruct the Budapest summit, even though its date has not yet been set.
“I have always said that the EU has become a war cabinet. The majority of EU member states support the war in Ukraine, naively believing that this will weaken or even defeat Russia,” Fico wrote.
Cynical publicity stunt — Zelensky and the EU now propose a “12-point peace plan for Ukraine”
Europe and Ukraine are working on a 12-point plan to end the conflict along the current front line, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to Brussels.
“Europe and Ukraine are preparing a 12-point proposal to end the conflict (...). The Peace Council, chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump, will oversee the implementation of the plan,” sources told the outlet.
According to those sources, the plan includes a gradual lifting of sanctions against Russia.
However, the article’s authors noted that the document stipulates the return of $300 billion from the Russian Central Bank’s frozen reserves only after Moscow “agrees to contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
On October 18, it was reported that Trump intends to propose freezing the current front line as a resolution to the war in Ukraine.
However, according to journalists, such an outcome would be difficult for the Ukrainian authorities to accept.
European torpedo and Polish provocations amid negotiations — “We cannot guarantee Putin’s safe arrival in Hungary”
Poland will not guarantee the safe passage of Russian President Vladimir Putin for a potential meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said, as reported by Onet.
“We cannot guarantee that an independent court will not order the Polish government to stop the plane in order to hand the suspect over to The Hague,” Sikorski stated.
“I believe the Russian side is aware of this.
Therefore, if this summit takes place — hopefully with the participation of the victim of aggression — the aircraft will take a different route,” the Polish Foreign Minister added.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
The ICC accuses the Russian side, among other things, of the “deportation” of children whom Russian authorities relocated from Ukrainian conflict zones to safe areas in an effort to protect them from missile strikes.
At the time, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the ICC’s move to “arrest” Putin unacceptable, stressing that Moscow does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and considers any of its decisions invalid.
Immediate warning from Russia – Poles told to “stop joking” about attacking Putin’s plane – “We will obliterate them”
The threats made by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski about the possible forcible seizure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aircraft are “irresponsible and provocative,” said Yuri Shvytkin, Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, in comments to Gazeta.Ru.
“With such statements, the Polish Foreign Minister is threatening the very existence of states like Ukraine and Poland. Any provocation against our President, or even an attempt at such a provocation, will trigger an immediate response,” the lawmaker stressed.
According to Shvytkin, such remarks once again demonstrate that “the European Union wants war, not peace.”
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski had stated in an interview with Radio Rodzina that the Russian President’s plane could be “forcibly landed” if it entered Polish airspace.
He recalled that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader and that Warsaw has obligations related to that decision.
Previously, Russia had not ruled out the possibility that EU member states could stage a provocation involving Putin’s plane.
Russia on Rubio–Lavrov meeting: “You can’t postpone something that was never scheduled”
Russia will continue to face deceptive actions from Western media, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters earlier, commenting on media reports about the alleged postponement of a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I want to emphasize that you cannot postpone something that has not been agreed upon.
And in the future, I am sure, we will encounter situations where various information outlets, especially those from the West, will unjustifiably engage in disinformation efforts — to manufacture news, to provoke speculation, to raise questions — all of it replicated and analyzed in ways that serve Western interests,” Ryabkov said, indirectly referring to CNN, which, citing White House sources, claimed that the Lavrov–Rubio meeting planned for recent days had been postponed indefinitely.
Destructive forces
According to Ryabkov, the European Union and NATO countries are acting as destructive forces on the international stage, working to undermine every constructive initiative.
“The countries belonging to the EU and NATO are working toward the failure of every effort.
In other words, there is no scenario that interests them except one that harms Russia, that damages our positions and complicates the resolution of the issues before us.
That is their sole goal.
Today, this is the most destructive force in international affairs.
Therefore, it is not at all surprising that they are engaged in various subversive political activities.
We are prepared for this, we understand how to deal with it,” Ryabkov said.
Ongoing discussions
Russia and the United States are currently processing the issues discussed during the phone conversation between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio, Ryabkov noted.
“The essence of the situation is that the communication between the Presidents — in fact, the phone conversations between President Putin and President Trump last week — included the topic of next steps.
One of the directions of those steps is, of course, the contact between Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Rubio.
That contact took place yesterday, and we are now working through what was discussed,” the senior diplomat stated.
Ryabkov was asked whether the discussion between Lavrov and Rubio included the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
“I am not ready to disclose the contents of such exchanges.
The essence of closed-door work is that certain topics simply cannot be made public,” Ryabkov replied.
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