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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no final agreements were reached between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on a Ukraine settlement at their meeting in Anchorage. His remarks drew a rebuttal from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who called the claim "a bit disingenuous" and said that US proposals were accepted by the Russian side.

Coverage Comparison

Rubio's comments came during a state visit to Bahrain. He told journalists in Manama, according to TASS, that "there was no agreement in Alaska. There was a proposal in Alaska, but there was no agreement in Alaska. If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end to the war." Rubio added that Russia wants "the entirety of Donetsk" turned over to them "among some other things."

Lavrov, in remarks reported by TASS, expressed doubt about Rubio's characterization. "When my counterpart Marco Rubio says that there were only proposals, but no agreement in Alaska, I have to ask the question: what do we mean by an agreement," Lavrov said. He insisted that "US proposals were discussed and accepted by the Russian side in Alaska," and argued that if one side puts proposals on the table and the other agrees to them, then saying there was no agreement "is a bit disingenuous."

The South China Morning Post, meanwhile, reported that Russia has accused the US of failing to deliver on "understandings" reached between Putin and Trump at the Anchorage summit, with three senior Russian officials over the space of three days saying, without providing specifics, that Washington has not followed through. The report described this as a shift indicating growing frustration in Moscow.

Key Claims

  • Rubio said the Anchorage meeting produced proposals but no agreement on a Ukraine settlement.
  • Rubio stated that Russia wants the entirety of Donetsk turned over to it.
  • Lavrov questioned Rubio's account, saying US proposals were accepted by Russia in Alaska.
  • Russian officials, according to the South China Morning Post, accused the US of failing to deliver on understandings reached at the summit, without providing specifics.
  • The Kremlin has expressed gratitude for Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the South China Morning Post reported.
  • Ukraine's drone strikes deep inside Russia have intensified, including attacks on a Moscow oil refinery, according to the South China Morning Post.

Perspectives

United States (Marco Rubio): No final agreement was reached in Anchorage; only proposals were made, and Russia's demands include the entirety of Donetsk.

Russia (Sergey Lavrov and other officials): The US proposals were accepted by Russia in Alaska, making Rubio's denial of an agreement disingenuous; Washington has failed to follow through on understandings, and its role in mediation needs clarification.