Lead

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that potential agreements between Russia and Europe should be within the framework agreed upon by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Anchorage. Speaking to the Izvestia daily, Ryabkov commented on the European Union's discussions about a potential negotiator for talks with Russia, describing the debate as "a classic case of putting the cart before the horse."

Coverage Comparison

TASS reported Ryabkov's remarks in two separate articles. In one, he addressed the EU's internal discussions about who might represent Europe in negotiations with Russia. In the other, he spoke about the state of US-Russia dialogue and Moscow's commitment to the Anchorage understandings.

Key Claims

  • Ryabkov said Moscow is watching "with some interest the twists and turns of the EU's discussions on who might act as their negotiator with Russia," but stressed that the first priority should be ensuring future agreements fit within the framework agreed by Putin and Trump in Anchorage.
  • He stated that Moscow will not back down from ensuring that all agreements are within the Anchorage framework, adding that if the other side holds different views, it "needs to further reflect on the reasons for its own misguided approach to this extremely important, very serious, and troubling issue."
  • Ryabkov confirmed that Russia has observed "signs of a shift" in the US position away from the understandings reached in Anchorage, while reiterating that Russia's position remains unchanged and is based on those understandings.
  • He noted that the dialogue between Russia and the US on Ukraine has not been interrupted, saying "the dialogue with the Americans continues."
  • On Iran, Ryabkov said Russia is ready to assist Iran with practical measures to reach an agreement with the US, expressing hope for Iran's success in that effort.
  • TASS also reported that Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said earlier that Russia was ready for dialogue with the European Union.
  • According to TASS, EU countries failed to agree on either a candidate for a negotiator with Russia or the content of possible negotiations at the EU summit on June 18-19. The report said EU leaders declared that the time for negotiations had not come, and that the EU would never mediate but would only act on Ukraine's side.