Muscat: The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that a ceasefire in Ukraine without addressing the root causes of the conflict could lead to dire consequences, including negative impacts on Russian-US relations. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sputnik that Russia had not yet reached a major understanding with the US, despite the US’ desire to move towards a ceasefire soon.

According to Oman News Agency, Ryabkov emphasized that ceasing hostilities without a comprehensive settlement would result in the conflict reigniting with potentially more severe outcomes. He highlighted the necessity of tackling the fundamental issues underlying the Ukrainian crisis.

Ryabkov elaborated that the origins of the conflict are rooted in the unrestrained expansion of NATO, the emergence of a government in Kyiv through a coup, and the western countries’ disregard for the Minsk agreements. He underscored that any enduring resolution must include assurances against NATO’s expansion and the protection of the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine, who he claimed have faced violations.

The remarks followed high-level Russian-US discussions in Riyadh last week. During these talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that both parties had agreed to create conditions conducive to resuming cooperation between Moscow and Washington. They also aimed to remove obstacles affecting the operations of the two countries’ embassies and established working groups to explore swift resolutions to the Ukrainian crisis.