Russia says it’s still open to an agreement to end its war in Ukraine after launching a deadly bombardment of Kyiv that earned rare criticism from President Donald Trump.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a TV interview that he agreed with Trump’s recent assertion that a deal can be reached if the parties of the conflict are willing.
“The president of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction,” Lavrov said in a portion of an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” released Thursday. “The statement by the president mentions a deal and we are ready to reach a deal.”
Lavrov said in the interview, which is scheduled to be shown in full on Sunday, that there are still issues that must be resolved, though he gave no details. “There are still some specific points, elements of this which need to be fine-tuned,” he said
A Russian attack on Kyiv early Thursday, one of the largest aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital in months, killed at least 12 people and injured over 70. Trump invoked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first name in an angry response.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Trump has tended to be more critical of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has bristled at suggestions that his country agree to cede Crimea, which was seized by Russian forces in 2014.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that he didn’t think Russia presented an obstacle to peace, and expressed confidence that both Ukraine and Russia were looking to do a deal. Zelenskyy, Trump has repeatedly said, doesn’t hold the cards. “We’ll do the best we can working with Ukraine,” Trump said. “But they’ve lost a lot of territory.”
