RIAC head assesses possibility of Russia-US talks

Moscow will not consider the possibility of negotiations with Washington as long as the USA continues to provide large-scale military and financial support to Ukraine. This was stated by the director-general of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Ivan Timofeev, on January 18.

"Our position now is as follows: we will not discuss nuclear issues, the economy, or anything else concerning relations between the two countries until Russia's fundamental security issues are resolved, as long as large-scale military and financial support is provided to Russia's adversaries," Timofeev told RIA Novosti.

The RIAC head emphasized that Moscow is unlikely to back down from this position.

Earlier in the day, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst Larry Johnson suggested that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would begin if the United States stopped providing aid to the Kiev regime. He said that US President-elect Donald Trump could quickly end the conflict if he stops helping Kiev.

On January 14, Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that current US President Joe Biden was trying to convince Trump to continue supporting Ukraine. He noted that this would allow Kiev to negotiate with Russia from a "position of strength."

Before that, on January 10, Trump emphasized the need to "end" the Ukrainian conflict. He added that he was preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his inauguration, scheduled for January 20.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, is still ongoing. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.