In an interview with TASS, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin reiterated Russia’s core stance toward the United States and its efforts to resolve the crisis with Ukraine. Notably, Galuzin was part of the Russian delegation during last summer’s negotiations with Kiev.
“Russia remains committed to the goals of the special military operation set by its leadership and is ready to implement them based on the Anchorage understandings,” the Deputy Foreign Minister told TASS. “We believe that resolving the situation around Ukraine through diplomatic means is possible if there is the necessary political will,” the diplomat said.
Regarding that political will, however, Galuzin said that “U.S. rhetoric and actions are clearly contradictory.” He noted U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s June remarks that Washington does not consider itself a “neutral mediator,” as well as the ongoing military and intelligence support given to the Kiev regime—moves which “speak for themselves,” and “do not align with a pursuit of peace.” “We are raising all these issues directly during our ongoing contacts with Washington,” Galuzin emphasized.
As for claims that Russia is in official contacts with Germany on Ukraine, Galuzin said, “There have been no and are no official contacts with Germany on issues of Ukrainian settlement, and they are unlikely to be possible given the extremely aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric and practical steps of the German political leadership.” Such a stance is not surprising given the absolute hysterical Russophobia gripping most of Europe today.
“As for informal meetings of representatives of various public organizations of Russia and Germany, they have taken place and are continuing,” Galuzin emphasized.
German participants were said to include Ronald Pofalla, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, and Matthias Platzeck, former minister-president of Brandenburg. The Russian side was said to have included Valery Fadeyev, the head of Russia’s Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Viktor Zubkov, a former prime minister and current chairman of state energy company Gazprom. Also in July, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made public remarks that the above individuals had been in Baku, but had no information on whether they met each other since his government was not informed of any such meeting.
