Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that Moscow sent a non-paper memorandum to the United States ahead of the latest phone conversation between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The informal document, he explained, was meant to remind Washington of the understandings reached at the Alaska summit.
Speaking with Russian media, Lavrov addressed a Financial Times publication claiming that a planned Putin–Trump meeting in Budapest had been canceled after Moscow allegedly sent Washington a list of demands on Ukraine. The paper reported that the document was delivered several days after the October 16 call between the two presidents.
Lavrov dismissed this account, clarifying that the “unofficial draft” had been sent several days before the call.
“The purpose of this memorandum was to remind our American colleagues what we discussed in Anchorage and what understandings, as we believed—ones the Americans did not deny—had been reached during the presidents’ meeting. Nothing in this informal document went beyond what was discussed and accepted in Anchorage,”
Lavrov said.
Putin and Trump Spoke 'Normally'
According to the foreign minister, during their phone call President Trump did not mention any “provocative or subversive paper” that could undermine hopes for settlement.
“On the contrary, the presidents spoke normally and agreed to meet in Budapest,”
Lavrov recalled.
Washington’s Silence After Initial Contacts
Lavrov noted that despite the agreements and a follow-up conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, there were “no further steps” from the American side.
“Instead, we heard public statements saying that meeting made no sense. We have no reason to apologize for remaining committed to what the presidents agreed on in Alaska—even if every comma wasn’t settled, mutual understanding was achieved,”
he emphasized.
Leaders Call for Dialogue Over Confrontation
The planned talks in Budapest were officially called off a week after the phone conversation. President Trump said he felt that under current conditions, the sides “would not get where they need to go.” President Putin, in turn, said approaching the meeting without preparation would be a mistake, as it would not yield results. However, he interpreted Trump’s remarks as referring to a postponement rather than a cancellation.
“Dialogue is always better than confrontation, disputes, or—worse—war,”
Putin concluded.
