'Nothing is happening': Sergey Lavrov dismisses progress in relations with US
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that despite several positive things being said about U.S.-Russia relations, "nothing is happening" in reality, and relations on the ground remain roughly the same as during the Joe Biden administration. In an interview with RT India, Lavrov said that the Kremlin appreciates the initiation of dialogue from President Donald Trump, but progress on key sectors has largely remained stalled.
In the interview, when Lavrov was asked about India cutting its oil supply from Russia due to pressure from the U.S. and its tariff strike, the official said the U.S. made an illegitimate move under the pretext of the Ukraine war. He claimed that Trump had stated Ukraine wasn't his but his predecessor's war, but he hasn't done much to undo the changes that the previous administration made. Lavrov said he appreciated Trump's initiation of dialogue with Moscow; however, "nothing is happening in real life," Reuters reported.
The minister added that despite regular dialogue, which is common in international relations, "everything else follows the pattern" of the previous U.S. administration. "The sanctions imposed under him have remained in force. Moreover, the Trump administration has adopted its own initiatives to punish Russia’s economy," he said. According to DRW News, he further added that cooperation in key sectors, including energy and technology, has stalled under Trump.
Last year, the Biden administration imposed a sweeping package of sanctions on Russia, targeting its oil and gas revenues in an attempt to give Ukraine and the incoming Trump administration leverage to negotiate a deal, as per The Guardian. However, since Trump took over, he has repeatedly tried to blame Kyiv for the war and made moves to cut aid to Ukraine by 99%, according to the New York Times. Trump's administration adopted a shifting approach by blending new restrictions with temporary lifting of oil sanctions in the light of the Iran war, sending global oil markets into a frenzy. While critics say it is benefiting Russia, the White House framed it as a strategic move, as existing sanctions remain in place.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has mediated several rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine, without any breakthrough. Last week, Trump announced that he had brokered a three-day ceasefire between the two countries to pause hostilities and execute an exchange of prisoners. "This ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country," the US president said, as per BBC. However, Kyiv has complained that Russia did not completely follow through with the agreement as it piled on several drone strikes in civilian territories, the publication reported. Furthermore, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski has long complained that U.S. negotiators have had "no time" for his country since the war in Iran began, the New York Times reported. He claimed that the decision to suspend sanctions on Russian oil gave the Kremlin a "sense of impunity" and that the U.S. is continuing to put more pressure on Ukraine than Russia to reach a deal.
