Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Tuesday, that any revised US peace plan for Ukraine must embody the "spirit and letter" of the agreements forged between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump during their August summit in Anchorage, Alaska. Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov expressed cautious optimism about an initial US proposal but warned that deviations from those core understandings would render the initiative "fundamentally different" and unacceptable to Moscow. He noted that Russia is preparing for further talks with US representatives in Abu Dhabi later that day, underscoring the urgency of aligning revisions with the bilateral dialogue.

Lavrov welcomed the original US plan, which Kyiv and its Western allies criticized as overly concessional to Russia, for incorporating key principles from the Anchorage meeting. Those included permanently barring Ukraine from NATO membership, limiting its military to 600,000 personnel, transferring control of the remaining Donbas region to Russia as a demilitarized zone, and requiring Kyiv to hold elections within 100 days. However, reports indicate these provisions have been softened or deferred in the amended "interim" version, which Washington is finalizing in consultation with Ukraine and European partners. Lavrov emphasized that Russia is not pressuring the US for haste but anticipates receiving the updated text soon.

The Anchorage summit marked a pivotal thaw in US-Russia relations following Trump's return to the White House, where the leaders discussed de-escalation in Ukraine amid ongoing stalemates on the battlefield. Russia's invasion, now in its fourth year, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, with Moscow controlling about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and parts of Donbas seized in 2014. The US plan's initial tilt toward Russian demands—such as neutrality guarantees for Kyiv—drew sharp rebukes from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who vowed to reject any deal compromising sovereignty.

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Lavrov's remarks come as global stakeholders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have offered mixed assessments of Trump's blueprint, with Macron noting it "goes in the right direction" but requires broader input to ensure equity. As Abu Dhabi talks loom, the revised plan's fidelity to Anchorage could determine whether negotiations gain traction or collapse into recriminations, potentially prolonging the conflict that has reshaped European security and strained transatlantic alliances.

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