The Russian Foreign Minister, Serguei Lavrov, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, held a first conversation since the war in Ukraine began last 24 February. In the dialogue they addressed different issues such as the situation in Ukraine, the food crisis and the possible exchange of prisoners between the two countries.
After the conversation, it transpired that Lavrov highlighted that the supply to the Army and the Ukrainian battalions of US and NATO weapons, which “is used massively against the civilian population, only prolongs the agony of the kyiv regime, prolonging the conflict and multiplying the victims.”
This is how the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement, detailing that Lavrov stressed that the Russian Army “strictly” respects international law, that in “the liberated territories” life is returning to normal and that the objectives of the special military operation “will be fully achieved”.
Blinken and Lavrov paid special attention to the situation surrounding global food security and the Russian minister took the opportunity to explain in detail to its US counterpart the agreement signed on July in Istanbul for the transport of Ukrainian grain from its ports on the Black Sea and also for export Russian food and fertilizer.
They also discussed the status of relationships bilateral, “which urgently need normalization”, says the official note.
“As for the possible exchange of Russian and American prisoners, the Russian side insistently proposed to return to a regime (of work) professional, without speculative disinformation, a dialogue based on a ‘silent diplomacy’”, he pointed out. In this regard, Blinken confirmed that he “urged” Lavrov to accept his proposal to release the two Americans detained in Russia, Brittney Grinner and Paul Whelan.
A few days ago the CNN television network reported that Washington proposed to Moscow an exchange for the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor But in exchange for the release of Griner and Whelan, which has not yet been confirmed by the authorities of either party.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed this Friday that he spoke with his counterpart Russian, Sergei Lavrov, and “urged” him to accept his proposal to bring back the Americans detained in Russia Brittney Grinner and Paul Whelan.