Russian foreign minister Lavrov praises Trump, criticises Europeans over approach to Ukraine peace push

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that it was clear at Friday's US-Russia Alaska summit that US President Donald Trump and his team sincerely wanted to achieve a long-term and sustainable peace in Ukraine.

Lavrov said the atmosphere at the Putin-Trump summit was "very good."

"It was clear that the head of the United States and his team, firstly, sincerely want to achieve a result that will be long-term, sustainable, reliable," Lavrov told the Rossiya 24 state television channel.

Lavrov contrasted what he said was the constructive US position to that of Europe, some of whose leaders took part in an extraordinary summit at the White House on Monday with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss Ukraine.

Lavrov said "the Europeans had... insisted at every turn only on a cease-fire, and that after that they would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine."