NIZHNY NOVGOROD, October 22. /TASS/. A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, US leader Donald Trump, and Vladimir Zelensky is being discussed, but no final agreement has been reached yet, said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
Speaking at the Nizhny Novgorod Economic Forum, he noted that the European countries’ position on the conflict in Ukraine is anti-Russian, extremely belligerent, and very dangerous. According to Ryabkov, Russia cannot be isolated "by definition."
TASS has compiled the key statements made by the deputy foreign minister.
The US stance on Ukraine
Russia is reviewing the ideas and proposals brought by US negotiators: "We are currently analyzing the content of these additional considerations and ideas."
Russia hopes that the United States is now carefully examining what it heard on Wednesday from Russian President Vladimir Putin: "I very much hope that our American colleagues are currently engaged in the same work. They are carefully, attentively, and deeply delving into what they heard at the Konstantinovsky Palace directly from the president."
Russia expects that the Trump administration will be able to embrace the logic of resolving the conflict in Ukraine based on the situation on the ground: "Full consideration of the changed realities on the ground, our constitutional realities, and the current situation on the battlefield is an imperative. This is the basis on which we engage in dialogue with the United States, and we will not deviate from this approach. We expect the Trump administration to understand the logic behind such a settlement and the imperative of addressing these realities, and to act accordingly in its future dealings with both its minions in Kiev and the European bloc."
Russia keeps the settlement in Ukraine high on the agenda in its relations with the United States.
Ukrainian settlement
A meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky is being discussed, but a full agreement is still pending: "The idea has been raised, but there is no final understanding on this yet. There is no full agreement at this point. Discussions are ongoing."
Finding ways to resolve the conflict around Ukraine is difficult, but Russia starts from the premise that any solution must ensure the most reliable resolution of the fundamental problems that made the launch of the special military operation inevitable: "Finding a way forward is no easy task. We cannot abandon the fundamental principle that any solution - whether political or military, should political and diplomatic methods fail - must ensure the most reliable settlement of the underlying problems that made the launch of the special military operation inevitable.
"It is absolutely essential to address the root causes and underlying factors of this conflict and to resolve the situation that led to the emergence of this acute crisis."
Europe’s confrontational policy
The European stance on the Ukraine conflict is anti-Russian, highly confrontational and dangerous: "The European group is currently taking the most anti-Russian, the most belligerent and, therefore, highly dangerous position."
Diplomacy is the art of reaching agreements. "We are not giving up. We are playing on many fronts and will continue to do so. We are open to peace.
"Russia cannot be isolated by definition: it is a continent in its own right and an integral part of Eurasia. Remember, everyone who thinks differently - you won’t succeed in your attempts to impose your will on Great Russia and its partners.
Safeguarding national interests
Russia firmly defends its national interests: "Russian diplomacy is guided by the country’s leadership towards resolute protection of national interests and towards creating favorable external conditions to ensure the country’s safe and steady development."
At the same time, Russia is building equitable cooperation with countries that are willing to cooperate. "Moreover, unlike those who, according to the Russian president, believe it is permissible to dictate their will, preach about life, and give orders by the right of strength, we are ready to develop equal and mutually beneficial relations with everyone who is open to cooperation on similar principles.
"In the face of unprecedented Western sanctions, in an environment where attempts to isolate Russia continue unabated, we are focusing our efforts on building a new infrastructure for foreign economic activity that is protected from destructive external interference, including production and logistics chains and transport corridors."
EAEU
The share of payments in national currencies among the member-states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has risen above 90%: "We are working with the partners on creation of a new payment infrastructure, on integration of the national systems of financial information transmission," he said.
"We have already transferred a significant portion of mutual settlements to the national currencies and are continuing this work. Within the EAEU, the share of the national currencies in services and trade exceeds 90%."
Currently, a free trade agreement is in force between the EAEU and Vietnam, Serbia, Iran, Mongolia, and the UAE: "A similar document with Indonesia has been signed and will soon come into force. A non-preferential trade agreement is being implemented. Negotiations are underway on the parameters of trade liberalization with India. A decision was made to launch corresponding negotiations with Tunisia. The feasibility of such a step in relations with Pakistan and Jordan is being studied."