Russian Foreign Minister Reminds US Peace Plans Must Reflect The Spirit And Contents Of The Alaskan Summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (Mikhail Sinitsyn / TASS)

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday the amended peace plan for Ukraine must reflect the "encourse and content" of the understanding reached between President Vladimir Putin and United States President Donald Trump at the Alaskan summit.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia welcomed the initial version of the US peace plan for Ukraine and was waiting for the interim revised version, after Washington coordinated with Ukraine and Europe.

If the version of the amendment does not reflect what President Putin and President Trump discussed when they met in Alaska in August, Foreign Minister Lavrov said Russia - whose representatives are reportedly preparing to hold further talks with the US in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday - would take a very different view of the initiative.

"Our assessment remains valid in the sense that the main provisions of Trump's plan (early) are based on the understanding reached at Anchorage at the Russia-American summit in August this year. And these principles are generally reflected in the plan, which we welcome," Foreign Minister Lavrov said. November 25.

The initial plan has permanently dropped NATO membership for Ukraine, restricted its troop numbers to 600,000, proposing handing over the remaining Donbas to Russia - albeit as a demilitarized zone - and requiring Kyiv to hold elections in 100 days.

All of these clauses have reportedly been amended or ruled out for the time being.

Foreign Minister Lavrov said Moscow was not in a hurry, but hoped Washington would share the latest interim text with Russia when it was ready.

"If the spirit and content of the Anchorage Agreement is abolished in terms of the main understanding we have made, of course, the situation will be very different (for Russia)," Foreign Minister Lavrov warned.