MOSCOW, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- A ceasefire in Ukraine without addressing the root causes of the conflict could have serious consequences, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Monday.
The U.S. side appears eager to push for an immediate ceasefire, Ryabkov told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency in an interview. "But as we have emphasized both in Riyadh and before, a ceasefire without a long-term settlement will only lead to a renewed outbreak of conflict, with even more severe consequences, including for Russia-U.S. relations. We do not want this."
He emphasized the importance of finding a comprehensive and lasting solution that would address the fundamental causes of the Ukraine crisis.
Ryabkov noted that Russia's special military operation in Ukraine was inevitable due to the long-standing underlying issues that had developed over decades as a result of the policies pursued by the United States and some European countries toward Eastern Europe and Ukraine, which he described as "destructive."
"A ceasefire alone is not a solution," Ryabkov said. "We have a different approach and different priorities, as (Russian) President Vladimir Putin has stated. Our senior representatives conveyed this position clearly and comprehensively in Riyadh."
High-level Russia-U.S. talks were held in Riyadh on Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face interaction between senior U.S. and Russian officials since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis three years ago. ■
