Blinken-Lavrov conversation: Ukraine situation & global food security

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Russia’s position on the situation around Ukraine, the global food security and prisoner swap, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday after their telephone conversation.

"The two top diplomats discussed the current situation in Ukraine. The minister told about Russia’s principled approaches in light of the ongoing special military operation on the territories of the DPR, LPR (Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics - TASS) and Ukraine and stressed that its goals and tasks will be inevitable attained," it said.

In this context, "the state secretary’s attention was drawn to the fact that the ongoing flooding the Ukrainian army and nationalist battalions with American and NATO weapons, which are used against civilian population, only prolongs the agony of the Kiev regime, protracts the conflict and multiplies casualties," the ministry said. "Lavrov stressed that the Russian armed forces strictly observe norms of international law and systemic work is being done on the liberated territories to resume peaceful life."


In their first such conversation since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the two top diplomats looked to stick to their existing positions, according to the readout of the call from Blinken.

“We had a frank and direct conversation," Blinken told a news conference at the State Department. "I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner," he said.

The two top diplomats also discussed the situation in the sphere of global food security.

"Antony Blinken was informed about the details of the package agreement, signed on July 22 in Istanbul, regarding transportation of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and on promotion of export of Russian food and fertilizers," the ministry said. "The minister drew special attention to the fact that the global [food] situation is complicated by the US sanctions and that the US has not yet fulfilled its promise to grant the relevant exemptions for Russian food exports. He stressed that the use of this problem by the collective West in its geopolitical interests is inadmissible."

Lavrov told Blinken that it was the U.S. sanctions that complicated the global food situation.

The sides also discussed bilateral problems. "The two top diplomats exchanged views on the problems of bilateral relations, which badly need normalization," the ministry said.

"Concerning possible exchange of prisoners with the United States, the Russian side strongly recommended the sides return to professional dialogue in the regime of quiet diplomacy, without speculations and fakes," the ministry said.

The conversation was initiated by the US side. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the call lasted about 25 minutes and it was "without polemics and was businesslike."