Russia unlikely to hold trilateral summit with US and Ukraine: Senior Russian diplomat

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday that while Moscow and Washington may hold talks on bilateral relations before the end of autumn, a trilateral summit including Ukraine is unlikely.

Speaking in an interview with the Russian state news agency Tass, Ryabkov said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may meet on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York City, which opened on Sept. 9.

The organization of the meeting “is in the process of discussion. I think the chances (for it to happen) are high," he said.

As for a meeting with Ukraine, Kyiv has not yet responded to a Russian proposal made during the third round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on July 23, he added.

Regarding a potential fourth round of bilateral consultations aimed at resolving diplomatic irritants between Russia and the US, Ryabkov disclosed that the meeting has been postponed multiple times.

He clarified that the delays were not merely logistical but strategic, as Moscow seeks substantive progress rather than "stomping on the spot." He emphasized that with political will, groundwork could be laid behind the scenes for future steps.

"If we talk about some time frames, we aim to try to hold such an event at least by the end of autumn," he said.

Commenting on the US approach to Ukraine, Ryabkov said not everything about American ideas suits Moscow, but generally it sees it as based on "common sense."

Meanwhile, opponents of the Trump administration "are pressing with all their might a reverse gear" in an attempt "to bring Russia to its knees," he said.

According to Ryabkov, a group of “rabid militarists” and those unable to accept the harsh reality that “victory over a nuclear power is fundamentally impossible” are "unfortunately drowning out voices making sounder assessments."

"I would like this paranoid white noise created by the European group not to overshadow the common sense that continues to be heard in Washington," he added.

Commenting on US President Donald Trump's calls on Europe to replace Russian energy with American supplies, Ryabkov said he saw nothing new in them, stating Russia's energy sector is well-prepared to handle such market competition.

He stressed that the important factor is the US administration's commitment to improving relations, a direction he said was established at the meeting last month in Anchorage, Alaska between the Russian and American presidents.