MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. The United States has taken Russia’s position on the terms of the ceasefire in Ukraine with understanding, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu told TASS in an interview.
"The Russian government proceeds from the need to eliminate the initial causes of the Ukrainian crisis and to ensure the guaranteed security of the country," he said. "I would like to repeat once again: we are ready for a ceasefire, a truce and peace talks, but only if our interests and the realities on the ground are fully taken into account. Our position has been conveyed to the US administration and has been accepted with understanding there," Shoigu added.
Speaking about the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Shoigu noted that "prospects are always there." He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been quite clear on the matter: a ceasefire is possible if it signals the beginning of a long-term peace, rather than serving as a pretext for another respite and regrouping of Ukrainian armed formations.
The Security Council secretary also emphasized that "some Western elites are still determined to continue military actions in Ukraine and are trying to disrupt or compromise the Russian-American dialogue that has erupted."
"Despite the agreements on mutual cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, reached with the participation of the US, the Kiev authorities, with the active support of European countries, continue to attack such facilities on a daily basis," he stressed. "The shelling of Russian border regions, sabotage and terrorist actions, as well as the massive application of unmanned aerial vehicles continue unabated," Shoigu added.