Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Thursday that contacts between Moscow and Washington regarding the situation in Ukraine are ongoing ‘informally and confidentially.’ Lavrov made this announcement while speaking to journalists, emphasizing the discreet nature of these communications.

According to Anadolu Agency, Lavrov highlighted that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly confirmed the continuation of these informal and confidential contacts concerning the Ukrainian issue. Despite these ongoing communications, Lavrov expressed that Russia has not seen any significant prospects for resuming a formal dialogue, noting that US envoys are currently preoccupied with other matters.

Lavrov explained that the United States employs a single team of mediators for all foreign policy areas, which has resulted in a temporary pause in discussions. Earlier this week, Peskov mentioned during a press briefing that Russia and Ukraine continue to communicate with the US through their respective channels, exchanging information as needed.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have pointed to the US focus on Iran as a reason for the pause in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Previously, Russia, Ukraine, and the US conducted three rounds of peace talks on January 23-24, February 4-5, and February 17-18. The first two rounds took place in Abu Dhabi, while the third was held in Geneva.