President of the United States Donald Trump stated that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine regarding the end of the war are ongoing, but if they fail, the consequences could be severe for many parties.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Trump’s Statement on the Progress of Negotiations
During his speech on October 20, Trump emphasized that efforts are currently being made to reach a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. He stressed:
“We are trying to reach an agreement. If it is achieved – that’s great. If not, many will pay a heavy price.”
In response to a journalist’s question about why the U.S. is not insisting on a military victory for Ukraine, Trump noted that the situation is much more complicated than it seems.
Contacts Between the U.S. and Russia at the Diplomatic Level
The U.S. State Department officially confirmed that on October 20, a phone call took place between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The talks were initiated by Moscow, and the main topic was the preparation for a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest.
The State Department’s statement emphasized that Secretary Rubio views future contacts as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to cooperate towards a long-term resolution of the war between Russia and Ukraine, aligned with President Trump’s vision.
Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov are expected to hold a face-to-face meeting on October 23 to discuss the parameters of future negotiations between the leaders of the two countries.