Russia has declared its readiness for negotiations and set a condition for the US
This was reported by Interfax, citing a briefing by Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Zakharova stated that Moscow is allegedly not ruling out a political and diplomatic resolution to the war and is prepared to consider new proposals and ideas.
At the same time, the Russian side is demanding that Washington first explain what happened to the previous proposals discussed by the US and Russian presidents during their meeting in Anchorage on 15 August 2025.
According to Zakharova, the United States had presented Moscow with a specific plan even before the summit. Russia allegedly agreed to it following clarifications in Alaska, and the American side assured them that Ukraine would also support the proposal.
Moscow has not made public any specific document signed by the parties following the meeting. Zakharova also did not specify the conditions under which Russia is prepared to cease hostilities, nor did she mention any preparations for a new round of talks.
Why the US denies the existence of any agreements
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the parties had discussed the Russian proposal in Anchorage but had not reached an agreement.
“If there had been an agreement, the war would already be over,” he explained in June. Rubio emphasised that the proposed approach proved unacceptable to Ukraine, so Washington would have to explore new options.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disagreed with this interpretation. According to him, the American side put forward proposals, and Putin confirmed his readiness to accept them, which Moscow considers to be an agreement.
Thus, the US speaks only of discussing one of the options for ending the war, whilst Russia refers to it as the “Anchorage agreements” and demands that Washington return to them.
What the “Anchorage formula” entailed
The official text of the proposal was not published. According to Reuters, Putin proposed freezing most of the front line in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire Donetsk region and the transfer of full control over the Donbas to Russia.
Russia was also reportedly prepared not to advance further into the occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Ukraine rejected the demand to cede territories that Russian troops had failed to capture.
These conditions did not amount to a simple ceasefire along the current line of contact. They entailed further territorial concessions from Ukraine even before a full-fledged peace agreement was concluded.
Kyiv has repeatedly stated that it will not agree to voluntarily hand over unoccupied territories to Russia and will not recognise Russian sovereignty over the seized regions.
Are new negotiations beginning?
Zakharova’s statement does not indicate the start of a new negotiation process. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on 27 July that Moscow had not yet received any specific new peace proposals.
According to him, reports of possible initiatives, particularly regarding a cessation of air strikes, remain media speculation without any published details.
A few days earlier, Rubio had met with Lavrov in Manila. Following the talks, the Secretary of State stated that the US was ready to assist in finding a solution acceptable to both sides, but did not disclose any specific outcome of the meeting.
At the same time, Russia continues its military operations and publicly declares its intention to achieve its objectives on the battlefield. Consequently, statements about a willingness to consider new ideas are not yet accompanied by an agreement to a ceasefire, a renunciation of territorial claims or other practical steps.
