The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu, Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
Today, we will discuss certain issues concerning regions of particular importance to us and the evolving situation there.
Mr Lavrov, could you update us on the current developments in the United States? As I understand, the inauguration of the newly elected President is scheduled for today. Please proceed.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: Colleagues,
Indeed, since yesterday, the global media and social networks have been flooded with news from Washington, coinciding with the arrival of Trump and his team in the capital for today’s inauguration, set to take place at 8:00 pm Moscow Time. While the details are widely reported, speculation, analytical assessments, and forecasts are also intensifying regarding how this event may influence various conflicts across different regions of the world.
There are numerous conflicts, including those in the Middle East, where the situation remains fragile. Despite the signing of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, there are no convincing signs of lasting stability. On the one side, warnings are voiced that Israel is violating the agreements, while Israel accuses Hamas of not fully adhering to the commitments they made.
Of course, the Palestine problem beyond the Gaza Strip does not go anywhere. We can recall that Donald Trump, during his first term, promoted a concept that was totally different from the Arab Peace Initiative and implied that relations between Israel and all Arabs be normalised…
Yemen, Libya, and, of course, Syria after the events that took place a month ago, all this makes the Middle East and the Near East a very troubled region. Let us not forget Afghanistan, where the Americans are also trying to restore their presence to some extent, using neighbouring countries for this and thinking about returning their military infrastructure there.
I am saying all this in terms of the policies carried out by the previous administration. So, of course, everyone is trying to guess what official approaches the Trump administration will promote. Unofficially, members of his team and he, himself, have repeatedly spoken out about the Middle East and the Ukraine crisis, which Trump considers a priority area of his foreign policy activity with an eye to resolving it, making it clear that they understand the Russian position in some of its aspects: for example, regarding the unacceptability of Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.
However, let me repeat that all of these are preliminary statements, more like “test runs,” made on the eve of the new President’s official inauguration and the approval of members of his administration.
This is why a lot depends on the United States, first of all, because the Europeans and US Asian allies, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand are completely guided by the position of the White House, and in this sense, they are waiting to see what its final position will be. Of course, developing countries are waiting, too – countries in the regions where the United States can play a positive role or carry on the previous administration’s course to maintain conflict potential in the hope of benefitting from the ongoing crises. At least, this was the United States’ course for many years under various administrations. Therefore, guessing is a thankless job.
We are open to contacts. We have repeatedly confirmed this in response to relevant questions, with the understanding that we will have serious proposals from those of our colleagues who once suspended, or even broke off, relations with the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin: You referenced the Middle East. Recently, there has indeed been an exchange, and some hostages have been released. However, among those still held captive is an individual holding dual citizenship, Russian citizenship. I would request that within the Foreign Ministry, along with colleagues from other relevant agencies, efforts are made to address this matter. Do not overlook it, and strive to ensure the release of our citizen.
Sergei Lavrov: We are engaged in this matter.
Vladimir Putin: Regarding the developments in the United States, today in Washington, D.C., Donald Trump is being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. Undoubtedly, the pre-election phase was challenging for Mr Trump in every aspect; he, along with his family members, faced constant and intense pressure, including attempts on his life. Nevertheless, he demonstrated resilience and achieved a decisive electoral victory.
We observe that the newly elected President of the United States and his team have expressed a desire to re-establish direct contact with Russia, which the outgoing Administration had severed, through no fault of our own. Furthermore, we note his remarks on the necessity of doing everything possible to avert a third world war. Naturally, we welcome this stance and extend our congratulations to the President-elect of the United States of America on his inauguration.
I wish to emphasise that we have never declined dialogue and have always been prepared to sustain amicable and cooperative relations with any American administration, as I have reiterated on numerous occasions. We operate under the premise that the dialogue will be established on an equal and mutually respectful foundation, acknowledging the significant roles our nations play on several vital global issues, including the enhancement of strategic stability and security.
We are also open to dialogue with the new US Administration concerning the Ukrainian conflict. The primary focus here should be addressing the root causes of the crisis, which we have discussed extensively. Concerning the resolution of the situation itself, I would like to reiterate that its objective should not be a temporary ceasefire or a pause to regroup forces and rearm for the eventual continuation of the conflict, but rather a lasting peace founded on respect for the legitimate interests of all individuals and peoples residing in this region. Nonetheless, we will steadfastly advocate for the interests of Russia and the Russian people. This, in essence, is the purpose and meaning of the special military operation.
Let us return to, or rather commence work on, the agenda, if you please.
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