Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said Trump is under "improper pressure" from the EU and NATO to take a tougher stance on Ukraine. He criticised Western sanctions, claimed Europe will bear the cost, and blamed NATO for triggering the crisis, according to Russian state media outlet RT.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'s Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday in Wonsan, in a sign of strengthening the relations between Moscow and Pyongyang, CNN reported.
Russia will not change its course if the US imposes 500% secondary tariffs, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said. He noted over 30,000 sanctions have already been imposed, and President Putin claimed the sanctions hurt the West more than Russia, RT reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met twice at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia to discuss the Ukraine war. Both sides signaled openness to dialogue. Rubio also met China's Wang Yi, amid rising US-China tensions and upcoming US tariffs on Asian nations.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday after his meeting with Lavrov, Rubio stated that the US' strategy is to continue engaging all parties involved in finding an outcome to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
China has agreed to sign ASEAN's nuclear weapon-free treaty, boosting regional diplomacy amid US tariff threats. At the Kuala Lumpur summit, leaders including Marco Rubio and Sergey Lavrov met as ASEAN seeks balance between major powers. The US faces criticism over trade policies, Al Jazeera
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said NATO's efforts to turn Ukraine into a military base left Moscow with no choice but to launch its 2022 operation. In an interview, he blamed NATO expansion and Ukraine's alleged persecution of Russians for escalating tensions.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further developing the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries across the entire spectrum of practical cooperation, the statement said.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any Ukraine conflict resolution must fully address Moscow's security concerns, including NATO expansion and rights of Russian-speaking populations. He stressed that partial solutions are unacceptable, RT reported.