Russia says US took steps in 'right direction' but questions remain on Ukraine

ISTANBUL

The US has taken several steps in the “right direction” but questions remain over the settlement in Ukraine, Russia's deputy foreign minister said on Monday.

Speaking at a discussion hosted by the Valdai forum, Sergei Ryabkov said the US acknowledges the risks of endless NATO expansion, calling this a positive shift despite remaining serious disagreements over Ukraine.

A 28-point plan to end the Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, was first put forward by US President Donald Trump. Ukraine and its allies have since been working to refine the plan.

Russia says any peace settlement must recognize its control over captured Ukrainian territory, Kyiv should remain neutral, and there should be limits on Ukraine’s military.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership soon after Russia launched the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced readiness to drop his country's bid to join the defense alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees, but has so far rejected ceding territory.

Ryabkov said normalization would require time, sustained political will and equal cooperation that takes Russia’s security interests into account.

He stressed Moscow is watching closely whether Washington is genuinely moving away from what he described as a policy of extreme hostility.

He warned that recent US actions in the strategic sphere suggest the Pentagon is pursuing decisive military superiority, citing Washington’s plans for an expanded global missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome.”

According to Ryabkov, the project openly acknowledges that US missile defenses are aimed not only at so-called rogue states, but also at strategic rivals such as Russia and China.

He said plans to place interception systems in orbit amount to the weaponization of outer space and would further destabilize global security.

Nuclear weapons

On nuclear weapons, the deputy minister warned that Russia would respond in kind if the US were to resume nuclear testing. He said Moscow is prepared to guarantee its national security through military-technical countermeasures if necessary.

Ryabkov also pointed to what he described as growing nuclear coordination among European countries, including between the UK and France and discussions on a pan-European nuclear shield that would complement NATO’s existing arrangements.

He said Russia was forced to abandon its unilateral moratorium on deploying land-based intermediate-range missiles amid escalating threats, including plans to deploy the US Dark Eagle hypersonic missile system in Europe.

Moscow, he added, is considering strengthening the joint defense space of the Russia-Belarus Union State, such as the possible deployment of Oreshnik missile systems on Belarusian territory.

Ryabkov said Russia hopes to avoid negative scenarios after the expiration of the New START Treaty in February 2026, noting that President Vladimir Putin has proposed observing key quantitative limits for an additional year, provided the US refrains from steps that would undermine Russia’s nuclear deterrent.