Russia offers US plans to 'restore relations,' promising 'beneficial opportunities'
Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Getty Images)
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had submitted a package of proposals to Washington intended to "help remove serious barriers to the full restoration of bilateral relations," according to responses from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
In responses prepared by the Russian Foreign Ministry for a press conference by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Moscow identified the restoration of direct air links and the return of confiscated diplomatic property among its "key issues."
The ministry said that if the United States is ready to normalize relations, Washington would "gain promising and, above all, advantageous horizons of cooperation with Russia." Areas cited for potential collaboration include energy, critical minerals and rare earth elements, Arctic issues, space, and artificial intelligence.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also noted that, in its view, not all officials in Washington support the process of "relationship recovery," citing the example of new US sanctions on Russian oil companies as an "unexpected incident."
Last year, US President Donald Trump expressed intentions to reset ties with Moscow, and the sides conducted delegation-level contacts, including discussions on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
At the same time, Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, primarily due to Putin’s uncompromising stance on ending the war in Ukraine.
Media reports have suggested that Trump’s special representatives aim to turn Russia into a kind of "Eldorado" for the United States. However, many significant obstacles remain along this path.
