Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 14, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 27, 2026
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Russia notes a shift in Trump's Ukraine policy, welcoming talks. Trump acknowledges the conflict's realities, with Russia open to discussions.
By Dmitry Antonov and Vladimir Soldatkin
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia says it has detected a shift from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his team towards recognising the "realities" on the ground in Ukraine, and sees this as a welcome sign as it prepares to study his plan for ending the war.
The Kremlin says it is open to a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Trump, which the Republican said on Monday would take place "very quickly".
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to study Trump's ideas for ending the conflict in Ukraine once he takes office on Jan. 20.
Lavrov told a press conference that Russia welcomed the fact that the incoming administration had "started to mention the realities on the ground" more often. He referred to comments by both Trump and incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Waltz told ABC on Sunday that it was clear the war must end somehow by diplomatic means.
He added: "I just don't think it's realistic to say we're going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil, even Crimea. President Trump has acknowledged that reality, and I think it’s been a huge step forward that the entire world is acknowledging that reality. Now let's move forward."
Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine after nearly three years of war and says any deal to end the war must take account of that.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan, Anastasia Teterevleva and Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Russia emphasizes that the voices of Greenland's people should be prioritized in any discussions regarding its future.
Lavrov mentioned that Russia is ready to consider Trump's ideas for resolving the conflict in Ukraine once he takes office.
Russia controls a significant portion of Ukraine and believes that any peace deal must acknowledge this reality.
Trump has recognized the complexities of the situation, suggesting it may not be realistic to expel every Russian from Ukrainian territory.
The Kremlin has expressed openness to a meeting between President Putin and Trump, which is expected to happen soon after Trump takes office.
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