The Russian delegation’s objetives in the Alaska negotiations will be dictated exclusively by national interests, Fadeyev said.

On Wednesday, Alexei Fadeyev, deputy head of the Information Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, downplayed the importance of meetings between European leaders ahead of the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

RELATED:

Belarus-Russia Zapad-2025 Drills to Include Nuclear and Hypersonic Missile Planning

“We consider the consultations requested by the Europeans to be politically and practically insignificant,” Fadeyev said, previewing some elements of the agenda for the Alaska meeting scheduled for Aug. 15.

“It should allow the leaders to focus on addressing all accumulated problems, starting with the Ukrainian crisis and ending with the obstacles that hinder the normal functioning of the bilateral dialogue,” the Russian diplomat said.

Regarding reports of a possible “territory swap” with Ukraine as part of peace negotiations, Fadeyev said “the territorial structure of the Russian Federation is enshrined in the Constitution,” a clear reference to Moscow’s refusal to discuss the issue.

“Therefore, the objectives of the Russian delegation in the negotiations in Alaska will be dictated exclusively by national interests,” he stressed.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and take part in virtual contacts with European and NATO leaders, as well as with the U.S. president, ahead of the Alaska meeting.

Merz has cut short his vacation to convene this round of contacts, in an attempt to persuade Trump to take greater account of the Ukrainian and European perspective during his meeting with Putin and to consider increasing pressure on Russia if it does not agree to a cease-fire.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lowered expectations that Friday’s summit would result in a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine, saying the Republican president views it primarily as a “listening exercise.”

On Wednesday, the so-called “volunteers’ coalition,” which includes Germany, France and Spain, will hold a virtual meeting to discuss ways to support Ukraine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to attend.

Merz and Macron are expected to brief the coalition on the contacts they held throughout the day with several European allies, Zelensky and Trump.

Earlier, on Tuesday, European Union leaders set their position in a joint statement, asserting that any “meaningful” negotiations on Ukraine should take place only if there is a “cease-fire or reduction of hostilities” by Russia. The European partners also reiterated that international borders “cannot be changed by force” and reaffirmed the Ukrainian people’s right to decide their own future.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

IN THIS ARTICLE