Russia is seeking to determine whether Donald Trump has indeed altered his stance on the war in Ukraine, following comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron at this month’s G7 summit, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
Macron, who hosted the G7 summit in the French town of Évian-les-Bains, noted that Trump acknowledged during discussions that Russia does not seek peace in Ukraine. According to Macron, this represented a “real change in approach” from the United States.
Trump’s statement and cautious optimism of G7
Donald Trump himself urged Russia to pursue peace with Ukraine after what he described as a “very good” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. These remarks generated cautious optimism among G7 leaders regarding the potential for a peace agreement.
“Regarding Ukraine, we want to understand what happened in Évian”, Lavrov said at an event in Moscow. He added that “the Americans have not yet informed us of what they took away from the summit in Évian or what their further course of action will be”.
“Buried” Spirit of Anchorage
Lavrov also referenced Macron, who stated that the agreements reached last August between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, were “buried” in Évian. Russian officials frequently refer to the so-called “Spirit of Anchorage” — a term analysts say summarizes Moscow’s interpretation of the basis for a potential deal. This deal would involve the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the remaining territory of Donbas in eastern Ukraine in exchange for Moscow freezing the front lines in other areas.
Source: The Straits Times