Russian foreign minister says "Biden's war" turned into "Trump's war"

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that the US is acting not as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war but as a country supporting Ukraine.

Source: Russian media outlets RIA Novosti and Interfax, citing Lavrov's interview with RT Arabic

Quote: "We were constantly told by our counterparts, and Donald Trump emphasised publicly: if I were president, there would be no war in Ukraine, this is Biden's war, nobody needs it, people are dying. But what Marco Rubio said in Congress about the US role not as a mediator but as a country supporting Ukraine suggests the opposite: that this war, which began under Biden, has become Trump's war."

Details: The Russian minister added that the "external framing" in the US is ostensibly more positive, as Washington advocates dialogue with Russia. Lavrov noted that following Trump's return to the White House, dialogue between Moscow and Washington had resumed. In his view, had the US been genuinely advancing its initiative, military action would have been halted through negotiations.

Quote: "Given what Marco Rubio said – and I have a working relationship with him; literally two weeks ago we discussed the situation in Ukraine – given what he said about supporting Ukraine, there is effectively no longer any difference between the approaches of the US and Europe."

Background:

• In April, Lavrov stated that Russia was ready for negotiations with Ukraine, though this was not its number one priority.
• On 25 May, Lavrov called Marco Rubio and "officially informed" the American side that the Russians were commencing "systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv" allegedly used for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, amid Russia's new threats, stated its readiness to assist in additionally strengthening the security of foreign diplomatic missions that submitted such a request.
• EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová stated that western diplomats would not leave Kyiv despite Russian threats of new strikes on the city.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!