Russia Won’t Give Up Territory in Ukraine Talks
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said on February 17 that his country won’t give up any territory to Ukraine. This was before talks with the US about ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia took control of parts of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. These areas include Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. However, Russia doesn’t fully control all these areas.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukrainian troops must leave the same areas before peace talks can start.
Lavrov mentioned that the Soviet Union made territorial concessions to Ukraine when it was formed. He said this in comments reported by Reuters.
Lavrov and another Russian official will travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with a US delegation about ending the war in Ukraine. The US team will include State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The goal of these talks is to find a way to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The US wants to host a meeting with Russia first, followed by a meeting with Ukraine, and then talks together.
US President Donald Trump said on February 16 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will have a say in the peace process. He also mentioned that European countries might be allowed to buy US-made weapons for Ukraine.
Marco Rubio echoed this idea, saying that Ukraine and Europe should play a role in serious negotiations with the US and Russia to end the war.
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