Russia-US tensions mount as Lavrov escalates argument with Rubio
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday called for “clarification” of the US role in trying to end the war in Ukraine, in a letter to his counterpart Marco Rubio.
Tension between Russia and the US over Washington's efforts to end the Ukraine war has grown since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in February.
Russia has welcomed efforts to end the war on Iran and has provided some military and intelligence assistance to Tehran.
In written answers to media questions, Lavrov escalated an argument with Rubio about whether presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump had reached an understanding on the outlines of a Ukraine peace deal when they met in Alaska last year.
Russia says there was indeed such an understanding, which it has often referred to as “the spirit of Anchorage”.
But Rubio, speaking to reporters on Thursday, denied that any agreement was reached. “There was a proposal in Alaska, but there was no agreement in Alaska. If there had been an agreement, we would have had an end of the war,” Rubio said.
In response, Lavrov said Putin went through a series of US proposals that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff had brought to Moscow days earlier, listing them point by point and checking with Witkoff - who was present at the summit along with Trump and Rubio - that he, Putin, had noted them correctly.
Lavrov, who was also at the meeting, said Witkoff had answered each time in the affirmative.
“Therefore, when my colleague M Rubio says that there were only proposals in Alaska but no agreement, it raises a question regarding what we actually mean by 'agreement',” Lavrov said.