Russia, US move toward ceasefire agreement in Ukraine: Lavrov
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Moscow and Washington are reportedly nearing a deal to end the Ukraine conflict, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while President Trump is pushing for a rapid ceasefire amid stalled peace talks.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gestures during a news conference following his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow, Russia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP)
Russia and Washington appear to be progressing toward finalizing an agreement to end the Ukraine conflict, said Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov in an interview with CBS News on Thursday.
“Well, the President of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction,” Lavrov said in the interview, adding, "The statement by the president mentions a deal, and we are ready to reach a deal. But there are still some specific points, elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned, and we are busy with this exact process.”
Although Lavrov reiterated Russia’s willingness to reach an agreement, he avoided sharing details about the proposed deal by pointing to the need for confidentiality, “The President of the United States did not spell out the elements of the deal, so it is not appropriate for me to do this,” Lavrov said.
US President Donald Trump revealed on Monday that he plans to disclose the details of his proposed Ukraine peace plan in the next few days, telling reporters, "I will be giving you a full detail over the next three days," also adding, "We had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia...We’ll see how that works."
US President Donald Trump is “probably the only leader on Earth who recognized the need to address the root causes of this situation,” highlighting this as one of the “signs that we are moving in the right direction," Lavrov said.
Putin-Witkoff meeting expected soon
A meeting between Putin and Witkoff could take place as early as Friday, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing a US official. The White House has confirmed that the US special envoy is scheduled to visit Russia this week.
This comes after Trump called last week for a rapid ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, underscoring rising frustration within his administration over what officials see as stalled and unproductive negotiations.
His remarks came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a warning that the United States may pull out of the peace process if progress remains elusive.
"Yeah, very short," Trump said when asked to clarify expectations around a ceasefire timeline. "No specific number of days, but quickly. We want to get it done," he added, expressing confidence that a deal may be imminent.
Rubio had earlier stated that talks cannot continue indefinitely without clear signs of commitment from both Kiev and Moscow.
