Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was in Atlanta Friday and into the weekend, and while there he issued some surprisingly blunt remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, related to the status of Ukraine peace dialogue involving the United States. European officials at the G20 summit were upset and agitated that he was there in the first place, at the invitation of the Trump administration.
Recent weeks have seen the return of optimistic headlines related to Moscow and Kiev getting back to the negotiating table with US mediation. All sides have even tentatively agreed to trilateral talks, but of a 'technical' and preparatory nature, and not yet at the level of heads of state - which could happen as soon as this month.
Lavrov told reporters that Russia's demands and goals for ending the 'special military operation' in Ukraine remain completely unchanged. He also at one point lashed out at Washington for continuing policies which serve to make peace more distant.
Getty Images"Our position is known, but what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table, I don't know," said Lavrov.
Despite the Kremlin welcoming Presdient Trump's waving the implementation of the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" - he made clear Moscow's perspective that serious issues remain.
Lavrov pointed to Ukraine actually obtaining more weapons from Western backers of la
