MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia is prepared to study U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s peace initiatives on Ukraine when he takes office next week, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Lavrov cautioned that Trump’s comments on the war – which he previously said he could end within 24 hours of entering the White House – were being made before his inauguration, but said Russia welcomed the fact that Trump’s team was starting to speak of “the reality on the ground” when discussing Ukraine.
Lavrov said this was reflected in comments from both Trump and incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Waltz told ABC on Sunday that it was clear the war must end somehow by diplomatic means.
He added: “I just don’t think it’s realistic to say we’re going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil, even Crimea. President Trump has acknowledged that reality, and I think it’s been a huge step forward that the entire world is acknowledging that reality. Now let’s move forward.”
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Anastasia Teterevleva and Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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