MOSCOW: The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected media reports suggesting that Moscow and Washington engaged in secret talks over Ukraine in April.
In an interview with Russian Pervy TV channel, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the claims circulating in the US media, stating that they were intentionally spread to create discord within Russian society. Zakharova emphasized that such information would continue to surface in the future.
Russia Clarifies Media Reports
According to Zakharova, the reports regarding a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former US officials aimed to establish an informal communication channel were “fake.” She highlighted that these reports were designed to undermine confidence and cast doubts on Russia’s position, insinuating that despite the US supplying weapons to Ukraine, Russia was still willing to engage in semi-legal negotiations. Zakharova emphasized that this narrative was false.
The spokeswoman clarified that a discussion between Lavrov and a group of former US officials, which took place on the sidelines of his visit to the United Nations in April, did not pertain to Ukraine. Instead, the conversation focused on the current global affairs, with Ukraine’s issue not being addressed.
