Russia‘s position on ending the war in Ukraine was set by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024 and has not changed, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Fadeyev said today.

Putin had at the time demanded Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from four regions that Russia has partially controlled and announced its annexation of.

“Ukraine’s return to the roots of its statehood, including its neutral and non-aligned status, is the best guarantee for a credible and long-term peace, as well as an objective precondition for the fastest possible resolution of the crisis,” Fadeyev further stressed.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman also deemed “insignificant” the consultations European leaders are scheduled to have today via teleconference with the US president in an attempt to persuade him to defend Ukraine’s interests during his meeting Friday with Putin in Alaska.

“We consider the consultations requested by the Europeans to be actions (that are) politically and practically insignificant. The Europeans are verbally supporting the diplomatic efforts of Washington and Moscow to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but in reality the European Union is sabotaging them,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

During their meeting in Alaska on Friday, the US president and the president of Russia will discuss “all the accumulated issues” in their bilateral relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry also clarified in a statement today.

Also regarding the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Estonia, Fadeyev noted that it constitutes a hostile act for which Moscow will respond.

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry announced earlier today that Tallinn is expelling a Russian diplomat over violations of sanctions and other crimes against the Estonian state.