Russia Signals Openness to Negotiated Settlement of Ukraine Crisis

Moscow, Feb 2026 : Russia has reiterated its readiness to pursue a negotiated resolution to the ongoing Ukraine conflict, grounded in the understandings reached between the leaders of Russia and the United States, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Lavrov stated that Moscow remains fully committed to the outcomes of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, which took place in Anchorage, Alaska, in August last year. He emphasized that Russia expects its national interests to be fully respected as part of any effort to reach mutually acceptable agreements with partners willing to engage in honest, direct, and constructive dialogue, according to a report by Xinhua news agency.

Highlighting Russia’s broader foreign policy approach, Lavrov said the country would continue to uphold principles of truth and justice in international relations while actively promoting a multipolar world order based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. He added that Moscow would firmly oppose double standards, concealed political agendas, externally imposed settlement frameworks, and practices associated with neocolonialism and hegemonism.

The Russian foreign minister further noted that strengthening strategic partnerships with emerging centers of a multipolar world remains a key priority for Moscow. He said Russia, along with like-minded nations, would intensify efforts to develop sanctions-resistant mechanisms for trade, investment, financial cooperation, and logistics, aimed at reducing vulnerabilities arising from unilateral economic measures.

Lavrov’s remarks came shortly after the conclusion of the second round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine. The discussions, which ended earlier on Thursday, resulted in an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to deliver substantive progress on core issues such as territorial arrangements, security guarantees, and a ceasefire.

According to Ukrainian officials, the talks were initially conducted in a trilateral format before shifting to broader group consultations. Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation had sought a “dignified and lasting peace,” though he did not disclose specific details of the discussions or any concrete outcomes.

The absence of a joint political or security statement at the end of the talks underscored the persistent and deep-seated differences between the two sides, particularly on questions of territorial control, ceasefire mechanisms, and long-term security assurances.

US President’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff described the negotiations as “specific and constructive,” confirming that representatives from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States had reached consensus on a prisoner exchange. However, he acknowledged that significantly greater diplomatic efforts would be required to move toward a comprehensive settlement of the conflict.

Following the talks, Russia and Ukraine carried out their first major prisoner exchange in nearly five months, with each side releasing 157 detainees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said those freed included both military personnel and civilians, calling the exchange a positive humanitarian step amid the continuing hostilities.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)