Russian officials welcome return of US diplomatic contact after years of silence

Russian officials welcomed the first high-level contact between Moscow and Washington since the Ukraine war began, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressing surprise at the global reaction to Wednesday’s phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Perhaps many in the West, including European Union leaders, were taken aback by a simple, civilized conversation between two well-mannered and polite people,” Lavrov said at a Moscow news conference Thursday, following his meeting with Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin.

The call, which Trump said resulted in an agreement to begin immediate negotiations to end the Ukraine war, came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Ukraine’s return to pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and NATO membership might not be part of a settlement.

European leaders have pushed back, insisting that both Kyiv and Europe must be included in any peace discussions.

Russian Security Council calls Trump call a diplomatic breakthrough

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, characterized the conversation as a crucial diplomatic breakthrough after years of silence between the two nations. “The previous U.S. administration cut off all high-level contacts in an attempt to punish and humiliate Russia. As a result, the world was balancing on the brink of the Apocalypse,” Medvedev said.

The call marked the first direct communication between Putin and a U.S. president since Russia launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. Former President Joe Biden had maintained a policy of non-engagement with Putin while providing military and economic support to Ukraine.

Medvedev drew historical parallels to emphasize the importance of diplomatic channels. “Nobody slapped personal sanctions on Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis or on Brezhnev during the conflict in Afghanistan or severed contacts between the heads of state,” he said.

Trump later indicated that a meeting with Putin could take place in Saudi Arabia, though no specific details were provided.