Russia ‘ready to reach deal’ on Ukraine

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Russia’s foreign minister said Thursday that Moscow was ready to do a deal on its war in Ukraine after Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin to halt attacks, in a rare rebuke following the deadliest strikes on Kyiv in months.

“We are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points... which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this,” Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with CBS News.

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Russia on Friday where he is expected to hold another round of ceasefire talks with Putin.

Lavrov said the talks process was moving in the right direction, and negotiations would continue with Washington.

He said the US president was “probably the only leader on Earth who recognized the need to address the root causes of this situation,” but said Trump “did not spell out the elements of the deal.”

Trump, however, issued a direct appeal to Russian President Putin following missile and drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital early Thursday which left at least 12 people dead.

It was the latest in a wave of Russian aerial attacks that have killed dozens of civilians, defying Trump’s push to bring about a rapid end to the bloodshed.

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes,” Trump said on social media. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”

Trump, who is accused of favoring Russia and has often vilified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was asked by reporters what concessions Moscow had offered in negotiations to end the war.

“Stopping taking the whole country — pretty big concession,” he replied.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hoping to take the country in days, but has since been bogged down in a bloody war with huge casualties on both sides.