Moscow [Russia], July 23 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed hope that US President Donald Trump's "reasonable" position on the Ukrainian conflict will influence the European Union's stance on the matter, RT reported on Tuesday.
During a press conference in Moscow after holding talks with Mozambique's Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas, Lavrov stressed the need for constructive engagement from the EU.
"I really hope that the reasonable approach that the Trump administration showed in this situation after it replaced the Biden administration, which spoke in unison with the unhinged Europeans, that this reasonable approach, which includes a willingness to dialogue and a willingness to listen and hear, will not go unnoticed by the Europeans, despite all the current discussions about the need to arm the Kiev regime again and again and again at the expense of... European taxpayers," Lavrov stated, according to RT.
While Trump had pledged to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he admitted last month that resolving the war was "more difficult than people would have any idea."
So far, direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, facilitated by Washington, have not produced tangible outcomes and have primarily focused on humanitarian matters such as prisoner exchanges and recovery of soldiers' remains, RT noted.
Trump has held multiple conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent months. According to RT, Trump recently criticized Putin for resisting a settlement and warned of sanctions against Russia and its trade allies if the conflict is not resolved by autumn.
In response, the Kremlin conveyed a measured stance toward the US president's remarks and reiterated its commitment to continuing talks with Washington. RT quoted Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying the US should instead focus on influencing Ukraine.
"It appears that the Ukrainian side takes all statements of support as signals to continue war, not as signals for peace," Peskov said, according to RT.
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