Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Wednesday that Moscow perceives a limited opportunity to reach agreements with the new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump. Ryabkov, as reported by the Interfax news agency, highlighted the contrast with the previous administration under Joe Biden, saying, "there is a window of opportunity today, albeit a small one."
Ryabkov emphasized the need to assess the new administration's capacity for negotiations, understand their approach, and strategically navigate the relationship with Washington to maximize potential benefits while minimizing risks. These remarks were made during a speech at the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies in Moscow.
President Trump, who assumed office on Monday, expressed intentions to swiftly resolve the conflict in Ukraine, without providing specific details. Furthermore, he mentioned the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia if President Putin failed to engage in negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict, without specifying the nature of these potential sanctions. Russia remains under considerable Western sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.