Update: Russia‘s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman called the report “disinformation”
A group of former senior US officials has held talks with influential Russians, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an effort to lay the groundwork for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday.
However, later in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the report “fake” and said it was “disinformation spread by the West.”
The report claimed that the meeting with Lavrov took place when he was in New York for a UN Security Council meeting back in April. It said issues discussed included potential diplomatic off-ramps and the fate of Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory. Throughout the war, there has been no known engagement between the Biden administration and the Russian government on these issues.
The former US officials who NBC claims met with Lavrov were Richard Haas, a former US diplomat and outgoing president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Charles Kupchan and Charles Graham, who are both fellows for the Council on Foreign Relations.
Sources told NBC that the discussions have taken place with the knowledge of the Biden administration but not at its direction. The former US officials who met with Lavrov briefed the White House National Security Council about the discussion.
Other discussions have involved former US officials and people who work at prominent think tanks and research institutions in Russia who are said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It’s not clear how often the talks are taking place. In at least one instance, a former US official traveled to Russia as part of the effort.
The Biden administration distanced itself from the reported talks in comments to the press. “The Biden administration did not sanction those discussions,” a State Department spokesperson said. “And as we’ve said repeatedly, nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House was aware of unofficial talks between former US officials and Russians. “But I want to make it clear that these discussions were not encouraged or engendered by us and we were not supporting them in any active way,” Kirby said.
Around the time Haas and Kupchan were said to have met with Lavrov, they co-authored an article in Foreign Affairs titled “The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine.” They suggested that Ukraine retaking all of the Donbas and Crimea does not need to be a goal of the US.
“Maintaining Ukraine’s existence as a sovereign and secure democracy is a priority, but achieving that goal does not require the country to recover full control of Crimea and the Donbas in the near term,” they said.
Haas and Kupchan predicted the war in Ukraine would likely turn into a stalemate after Ukraine’s counteroffensive and called for neutral organizations to oversee a ceasefire. “Under this approach, Ukraine’s Western supporters would propose a ceasefire as Ukraine’s coming offensive reaches its limits,” they said. “A neutral organization—either the UN or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe—would send in observers to monitor and enforce the ceasefire and pullback.”
At this point, there’s no indication the Biden administration will push for a ceasefire anytime soon. In early June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has only spoken with Lavrov twice since Russia’s invasion, explicitly came out against a pause in fighting and disparaged other countries that are calling for peace. For their part, the Ukrainians insist a ceasefire and peace talks can’t happen until Russia is expelled from all the territory it controls, including Crimea.
Ah of course the CFR. Non of those of so called officials engaged serve the public interests of the United States. They are part of the elites who control govt and went in there to negotiate for their private interests as it has become abundantly clear they are about to lose everything. They went in zero-sum, at some point (in Turkey maybe) they could have negotiated a win-win, but now they will end up with nothing. No rights, no permits, no licenses, Nada…There will be no plunder. Serves them right.
It appears the end of this is beginning of the end if the security state is sharing about talks they have been denying are occurring up until now.
You don’t make yourself out as a liar until the end ……
This meeting took place back in April. It must have been a shock for Lavrov that these dudes were actually negotiating, unlike how our Secretary of State and his henchwoman, Victoria Nuland, operate. They make war by way of deception and everyone knows that their ultimate goal is the total destruction of Russia. That’s why Lavrov has said that the USA is not agreement capable.
Even the CFR leaders know how awful Biden’s State Department is.
Like I believe anything re. this war.
“The state, I call it, where all are poison-drinkers, the good and
the bad: the state, where all lose themselves, the good and the bad:
the state, where the slow suicide of all — is called “life.”
Just see these superfluous ones! They steal the works of the inventors and the treasures of the wise. Culture, they call their theft — and everything
becometh sickness and trouble unto them! ust see these superfluous
ones! Sick are they always; they vomit their bile and call it a newspaper. They devour one another, and cannot even digest themselves.”―Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
see https://gilbertdoctorow.com/ for details and analysis.
Yup. When I first heard the story, I was surprised by the idea that Lavrov would have serious discussions with these guys. Doctorow says he wouldn’t and didn’t.
NATO would prefer to get Ukrainian conflict frozen until they are ready for a new offensive against Donbass and Crimea. They hope they can persuade Putin to cancel Russian counteroffensive which is due in the second half of the summer after Ukrainian offensive is exhausted.
Bloody stalemate is a realistic outcome. Neither side can muster the power to dislodge the other side. Eventually the costs will be so high that negotiations appear to be the most reasonable option
In this “bloody stalemate” Ukraine/NATO are loosing much more than Russia. So from Russian view point, everything is going fine. Russia has plenty of time. No need to go forward when Ukrainian/NATO armies are attacking themselves well prepared Russian defense line. So far, they never managed to approach the first defense line. All military activity is going on the mine fields. Russians created very dense minefields. Many of Ukrainian/NATO armored vehicles were destroyed by land mines.
They (CFR guys) suggested that Ukraine retaking all of the Donbas and Crimea does not need to be a goal of the US.
that Richard Haas guy is actually the president of the CFR.
i wonder what the CFR’s goals are. who are the CFR?
CFR website = “Since the establishment of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1921, the organization remains true to its founding principles to “afford a continuous conference on international questions affecting the United States, by bringing together experts on statecraft, finance, industry, education, and science.””
right then. the CFR is comprised of americans who pretend to have the US interests at heart. but they don’t actually work for uncle sam, in fact Angelina Jolie is a member.
so no matter what they ever claim their motives are, the reality is that continued enrichment of themselves and whatever their peers’ financial interests are their real goals.
unless i am wrong and they are actually altruistic but really, how altruistic can a bunch of “experts on statecraft, finance, industry, education, and science” truly be.
Spy, you done did all the research and answered all your own questions again. You know how frustrating it is not to be able to poke any holes in people’s arguments? What am I supposed to do now? …Just agree? …Fine. I agree, but that’s not as much fun. (Sarcasm)
It seems some “former US officials” still have few neurons holding on to each other in their mostly empty windy skulls, which they never exercised before when they were “current US officials.” If (that is a big if) that’s the case, they should realize that Russia would never agree to “A neutral organization…would send in observers to…” …Why? …Well, that would be like allowing NATO to take over what’s left of Ukraine and… …They said “NEUTRAL?” Well they said a lot of stuff… Hey!? You’re not even listening, are you? (Sarcasm alert)
Ukraine will be annexed and no amount of trickery and delay tactics will prevent that.
That strikes me as unlikely, in any case drink deeply from the poisoned chalice.
It may strike you unlikely. But make sure to have some ice for that bruise.
Change your name to Idiota.
Triggered. Just the way I like it.
Jaw jaw is better than war war. Ok everybody, you have had your fun now lets get real. No NATO for Ukraine, much higher degreee of autonomy for Donbass and Crimea and lets call it good.