Russia “will not object” US's intention to join Ukraine settlement: Ryabkov
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Russia says that it has no objections to the United States participating in the Ukraine settlement process, stating that "the question is how productive our American colleagues can be."
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Sergei Ryabkov Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister
Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, said on Saturday that Moscow has no objections to the US joining the Ukraine settlement process if Washington can persuade Kiev to follow the Minsk agreements.
"There have been times in the past when we didn't mind the US participating in this process. The question is whether or not our American counterparts can contribute constructively. That is, they recognize that no progress can be made unless Kiev takes action," Ryabkov told Sputnik.
Besides, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed US support to Kiev in a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, an effort to reassure Ukraine ahead of the US-Russia summit, which was held on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.
On his part, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a White House briefing that Biden told Zelensky that "he will stand up firmly for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its goals" and "looks forward to welcoming him to the White House in Washington this summer."
Russian-Ukrainian relations deteriorated against the backdrop of the situation in Donbas after the 2014 coup in Ukraine, which led to the return of Crimea to Russia.
