It was expected that after the conversation with Rubio, Lavrov would come to Budapest and together they would help organize negotiations between the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. But in the end both meetings were cancelled.
Lavrov was asked what really happened, whether everything was okay between him and Rubio, as well as between the Russian Federation and the United States.
“Rubio called me. We had a substantive conversation, during which I confirmed our full commitment to what was discussed in Alaska [на встрече Путина и Трампа]and the clear agreements that the presidents reached then,” the Russian minister replied.
Later, as Lavrov recalled, the US State Department published a message following his telephone conversation with Rubio, which said that their conversation “was productive” and “at this stage there is no need for a meeting between the Secretary of State and the Russian Foreign Minister.”
“I concluded that the conversation really went well if they made such a statement. And I understand what is behind it: a clear understanding of the steps that Russia and the United States can take to implement the clear and direct agreements reached in Alaska,” the Russian Foreign Minister concluded.
Context
Trump announced on October 16 that he intends to meet with Putin in Hungary. Before this meeting, he said, negotiations were planned at the level of foreign ministers.
On October 20, Rubio and Lavrov had a telephone conversation. The parties discussed steps to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin described the conversation as a “constructive discussion” during which “possible concrete steps regarding the implementation of the agreements” were discussed.
Reuters, citing sources, wrote that the meeting of Russian and American diplomats will take place on October 23. However, on October 21, CNN, citing sources, reported that the meeting of diplomats may not take place as planned because “there are different expectations.” Lavrov's deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, said that “one cannot postpone what has not been agreed upon.”
According to Bloomberg, Rubio canceled their planned personal meeting after talking with Lavrov, realizing that the Kremlin was again trying to delay negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine and continue the war. Trump's decision to cancel the meeting with Putin was the result of an assessment by Rubio, who concluded that Moscow had not changed its position, the agency indicated.
On October 22, the United States imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation for the first time during Trump’s second presidential term.
