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A top Russian official has rejected various proposals floated by President-elect Donald Trump’s team to end the war in Ukraine.

Some shit you should know before you read: The current situation from the front lines of Ukraine is a stalemate, with Ukrainian forces repelling counterattacks by Russia. Despite this, Russian troops maintain persistent pressure across multiple sectors, resulting in significant losses. While Russian forces are engaging in offensives near Kupyansk, Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Zaporizhia, most of their claimed advances, such as in Pishchane, Novoyelyzavetivka, and Kamyanske, remain unconfirmed and appear incremental at best. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have effectively countered Russian operations in critical areas like Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk, denying significant territorial gains. Notably, Ukrainian forces have lost 40% of the territory they once held in Russia’s Kursk region as Russian and North Korean soldiers continue to encircle their positions. 

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What’s going on now: In an interview with Russian state-run media outlet TASS, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed key elements of peace proposals reportedly floated by President-elect Donald Trump’s team to end the war in Ukraine. Lavrov criticized suggestions such as delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership by 20 years and deploying European peacekeeping forces, describing these ideas as failing to address Russia’s fundamental concerns. He stated, “We are not happy, of course, with the proposals made by members of the Trump team to postpone Ukraine’s admission to NATO for 20 years and to station British and European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.” Lavrov said that Russia seeks “reliable and legally binding agreements that would eliminate the root causes of the conflict and seal a mechanism precluding the possibility of their violation.”

In addition, Lavrov also doubted that US-Russia relations under Trump would improve. He said, “Even if Trump tries to relaunch bilateral ties, he will have to swim against the stream.”

This all comes as President-elect Donald Trump and his team have floated various ideas to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, with the goal being to quickly reach a ceasefire and then shift towards a negotiation phase. In addition to reportedly delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations for up to 20 years and establishing a demilitarized zone by deploying British and European peacekeeping forces, Trump’s advisers, such as retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, have suggested leveraging US aid to pressure Ukraine to negotiate while simultaneously pushing Russia to the table with the threat of increased weapons support to Kyiv. Trump has been vague on specifics, stating that publicizing the plan would render it “worthless.” Still, he has consistently pledged not to abandon Ukraine while seeking a settlement that addresses both sides’ concerns.

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