Lavrov noted the right direction in negotiations with the United States on peace in Ukraine

Negotiations with the United States to resolve the conflict in Ukraine are moving in the right direction. This was announced on April 27 by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"We continue our contacts with the American side on the situation in Ukraine. There are a number of signs that we are moving in the right direction," he said in an interview with CBS News.

The Russian Foreign Minister called US President Donald Trump the only leader on Earth who understands the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. According to him, the American president also called the attempt to draw Ukraine into NATO a mistake by the administration of former head of state Joe Biden.

Lavrov recalled that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among other things, expressed the opinion that during the negotiations Washington better understood Moscow's position, as well as the underlying causes of the conflict. The minister clarified that one of the root causes is NATO and the creation of direct military threats to the Russian Federation at the state borders.

"And the other [root cause] is the rights of national minorities in Ukraine. Everything Russian: media, education, culture — everything was banned in Ukraine at the legislative level. To get out of this crisis, we cannot simply forget about human rights," the Russian Foreign Minister stressed.

In two hands: the meeting between Putin and Witkoff made it possible to bring the positions of the Russian Federation and the United States closer

The Russian leader and Trump's special envoy discussed the possibility of direct talks between Moscow and Kiev

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 27 that the positions of the Russian Federation and the United States on the Ukrainian conflict largely coincide. In particular, he stressed that Washington and Moscow cannot disclose all the details of the settlement.

In turn, Trump said on April 25 that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had an understanding that Crimea would remain part of Russia. Also, according to the American leader, Ukraine is unlikely to ever join NATO and, in general, "the country's desire to join the alliance led to the outbreak of the conflict," he stressed.