On December 16, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated that the Ukraine crisis is on the verge of being resolved.
According to TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies, Ryabkov expressed in an interview with the US network ABC that “I am very much confident and pretty sure that we are on the verge of resolving this terrible crisis” when asked if a solution to the Ukraine crisis is nearing.
He added that Russia desires an end to the war in Ukraine and is grateful for the efforts of US President Donald Trump and the US government toward this goal. He also noted that Russia is prepared to work toward overcoming disagreements surrounding the Ukraine issue.
At the same time, he emphasized that during the peace negotiations, Russia has no intention of conceding the territories it has recovered, including the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk), the Crimean Peninsula, and the coastal areas along the Black Sea in southeastern Ukraine, which Russia refers to as “Novorossiya.”
Furthermore, he asserted that Russia would neither favor, agree to, nor be satisfied with the stationing of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces within Ukrainian territory.
Regarding the talks held among the US, Europe, and Ukraine in Berlin, Germany, on December 14–15, Ryabkov replied that he does not yet know what was agreed upon.
