Russian diplomat says Putin’s conditions on Ukraine must be met

A Russian diplomat said Monday that a Ukraine war peace agreement won’t be reached unless Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conditions have been met, according to multiple outlets.

“Without solving the problems which were the root causes of what is happening, it will not be possible to reach an agreement,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, as quoted by The Independent. “So variations and half-measures are not the path we are prepared to go along.”

In mid-June end-of-war terms were set forth by the Russian president, including the relinquishment of NATO aspirations from Ukraine and troops being taken out of mainly Russian-controlled Ukrainian areas, The Guardian reported. 

The diplomat also said at a Monday press conference that the Kremlin’s relationship with Washington is “balancing on the brink of a breakup,” according to NBC News.

President Trump recently said that he has had discussions with Putin about the Russia-Ukraine war’s termination, telling the New York Post that he and Putin had talked and that he’d “better not say” how many times.

Last week, the president signaled that he wanted a deal for rare earth elements and other items from Ukraine in exchange for military aid in its war against Russia.

“We’re handing them money hand over fist. We’re giving them equipment,” Trump said. 

“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine, where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things,” the president said to reporters. “I want to have security of rare earth.”

The Hill has reached out to the State Department and Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.