“Only on Russia’s terms” – Kremlin reacts hysterically to Ukraine-US talks
12 March 2025 08:57
Negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and the United States, which took place on March 11 in Saudi Arabia, provoked an active reaction from Russian politicians and diplomats. The Russian side continues to emphasize that any peace agreements should be made exclusively on its terms, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Russian media.
Russian Foreign Ministry: Russia is forming its position independently
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow will not rely on the efforts of other parties to determine its position on Ukraine. According to her, Russia makes its own decisions and does not succumb to external pressure.
“The formation of the position of the Russian Federation is taking place within Russia on its own,” Zakharova emphasized.
Lavrov ridicules Macron’s statements on nuclear defense
In an interview with three American bloggers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed skepticism about French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements. The French leader said that the country would be able to defend its allies with its nuclear potential.
According to Lavrov, such statements look “funny” and do not correspond to the realities of modern geopolitics.
“It was quite a funny speech by Macron (it was also about NATO, by the way), because he said that France would be able to protect everyone with its three or four nuclear warheads,” he said.
Russian State Duma: Russia will not allow being led by the nose
Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet emphasized that Moscow “does not believe in the sincerity of Ukraine’s intentions for a peaceful settlement and will not allow the West to manipulate the situation.”
“Russia will not allow itself to be led by the nose on the issue of a truce in Ukraine,” Sheremet said.
Any agreements – only on Russia’s terms
Vice-Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev emphasized that all real agreements on Ukraine should be based on Moscow’s terms, as “real agreements are written on the battlefield.”
In his opinion, the talks between the US and Ukraine are an attempt to “change the plot,” but Russia’s “military successes” dictate a different reality.
US removes Keith Kellogg from Ukraine talks
According to Politico, the US Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has been removed from the negotiations. His role has been significantly reduced, and key decisions are now being made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East Representative Steve Whitkoff.
Possible contacts between the US and Russia in the coming days
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova did not rule out the possibility of contacts between Russia and the United States in the near future. According to her, diplomatic meetings could take place within a few days.
This may be due to the statement of US President Donald Trump, who earlier announced talks between Washington and Moscow to resolve the situation in Ukraine, scheduled for March 11 or 12.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
On March 11, the delegations of the United States and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia. The meeting lasted nine hours.
During the talks in Jeddah, Ukraine and the United States took important steps toward restoring lasting peace in Ukraine.
In particular, the United States immediately canceled the pause in intelligence sharing and resumed security assistance to Ukraine.
Ukraine has expressed its readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to immediately implement a temporary, 30-day ceasefire, subject to acceptance and simultaneous implementation by Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington now intends to address this proposal to the Russian side.
