Russia is seeking a long-term peace agreement over Ukraine that addresses the root causes of the conflict rather than a quick U.S.-backed cease-fire followed by a rapid renewal of hostilities, a senior Russian diplomat told RIA news agency.
In an interview released Monday, the third anniversary of tens of thousands of Russian troops crossing into Ukraine at the orders of President Vladimir Putin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was after a Ukraine deal that stood the test of time.
"We can recognize with sufficient confidence the desire of the American side to move towards a quick cease-fire," RIA cited Ryabkov as saying.
"But ... a cease-fire without a long-term settlement is the path to a swift resumption of fighting and a resumption of the conflict with even more serious consequences, including consequences for Russian-American relations. We do not want this."
"We need to find a long-term solution, which, in turn, must necessarily include an element of overcoming the root causes of what has been happening in and around Ukraine," said Ryabkov.
Russia-U.S. talks held in Riyadh last week, which Moscow has said agreed to work on restoring bilateral ties and preparing for Ukraine talks, did not offer greater clarity about President Donald Trump's peace plan for Ukraine, Ryabkov said.
He repeated Moscow's stance that it had no choice but to launch what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine – something Ukraine and the West call a brutal colonial-style war of conquest – because of what he said was the NATO alliance's "unrestrained" eastward expansion.
He also complained about what he called the trampling of the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, repeating an allegation which Kyiv denies.
