MOSCOW

Russia would be open to a visit from US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for the Ukrainian settlement, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Commenting at a news conference in Moscow on media reports that US envoys for Ukrainian settlement Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may soon visit Russia, Lavrov said Moscow is open to such contacts.

"I am sure that if they show such interest, this interest will be met with understanding," he said.

He described the meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the American emissaries Witkoff and Kushner as "serious, specific, aimed at understanding the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and agreeing on ways to overcome these root causes."

Russia, Lavrov added, would be interested to hear the US representatives' impressions from their meeting with the so-called "coalition of the willing" in Europe.

"From our previous contacts with the US, starting with the Anchorage summit and during subsequent engagements with Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner, we see that the US understands the unfeasibility of such a scenario and wants to prevent any attempt to bring Ukraine into NATO," the minister said.

The two envoys last met Putin in Moscow in December. Talks continue on a 20-point US-backed framework to end the war that continues since February 2022.

As for Europe, Lavrov said it is resisting a peaceful settlement and preparing for war with Russia.

Commenting on the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores, the minister described the US operation as "illegal," arguing that Washington is undermining both the UN model and its own principles of globalization it had promoted for years.

Lavrov urged the US to agree on terms that would be implemented and respected by all.

"Our principled assessments of the illegal operation carried out by the US remain in force," he said. "It is clear to everyone that this is a gross violation of international law."

Looking ahead, Lavrov said it is difficult to predict how the situation in Venezuela will develop, adding that the country's leadership is currently "defending its national sovereignty and the need to participate in international relations" as an equal and independent state.

Regarding the US decision to impose 25% tariffs on Iran’s trade partners, Lavrov said such measures reflect a "consistently deteriorating competitive position" of the US.

He added that sanctions pressure "cannot last indefinitely and risks triggering a serious crisis in international economic relations."

On a US initiative to impose 500% duties on countries trading with Russia, Lavrov said it might "cause a smile or anger," but emphasized that Moscow remains focused on working with partners and implementing agreements.