A ceasefire in Ukraine without eliminating the root causes of the conflict threatens to have grave consequences, including for Russian-U.S. relations, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Mr Ryabkov said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Moscow did not want that to happen and explained its position to U.S. representatives at a meeting in Riyadh in great detail.

“Today, we have not developed a greater understanding. We can probably record with sufficient confidence the desire of the American side to move towards a quick ceasefire.

“But, as was emphasised both in Riyadh and earlier, a ceasefire without a long-term settlement is a path to a quick resumption of hostilities and a resumption of the conflict with even more grave consequences, including consequences for Russian-U.S. relations. We do not want this,” Mr Ryabkov said.

“We need to find a long-term solution, which, in turn, must necessarily include an element of overcoming the root causes of what was happening in and around Ukraine,” he explained. “The special military operation is deeply motivated. It could not help but begin.

Mr Ryabkov added, “We simply had no alternative since those underlying causes of the crisis were maturing largely as a result of the destructive policy of Washington and European capitals in the Eastern European direction, in the direction of Ukraine, which had been carried out for decades.

“In the end, everything led to this crisis. Accordingly, now without addressing the causes of the conflict – and they are in the expansion of NATO, completely unrestrained, in ignoring the fact that people came to power in Kyiv as a result of a coup, and subsequently, the Western group rejected the Minsk agreements – we have repeatedly said this.

“We must deal with the non-expansion of NATO. We must deal with ensuring the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine, which have been trampled. Without all this, a long-term solution will not work.”

The Russian minister pointed out that “a ceasefire in itself is not a solution.’

The Russian official highlighted a different approach and “different guidelines”, which was stated directly by Russian President (Vladimir Putin), and which our high-ranking representatives spoke about in Riyadh with the utmost clarity and in great detail.

High-level Russian-U.S. talks were held in Riyadh on February 18.

On the Russian side, they were attended by Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, and RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev, while the U.S. side was represented by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the U.S. leader’s special envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff.

(RIA Novosti/NAN)