Russia is heading into its talks with the United States in Alaska with a "clear and understandable" stance, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on arrival in Anchorage late Thursday.
Much of the groundwork for Friday's meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was laid during US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow last week, Lavrov said, expressing the hope to continue what he called a "useful conversation."
In the comments made to state broadcaster Russia-24, Lavrov added: "We know that we have arguments, a clear and understandable position. We will present them."
Trump has said he will push for a ceasefire in Ukraine and an end to the war. Putin, who ordered the all-out invasion in February 2022, has so far shown no sign of backing down.
The face-to-face meeting between the two leaders is scheduled to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) at the Elmendorf–Richardson military base just outside Anchorage.
The location is heavy with symbolism: At its closest point, Alaska is only a few kilometres from Russia across the Bering Strait. The US bought Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867.
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