Russian Foreign Minister Reveals Secret Connection with the US on Ukraine Issue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov admitted that there are still “unpublic” connections between Moscow and Washington on the Ukraine issue.

After visiting the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on July 16 during Russia's month as UNSC President, Foreign Minister Lavrov admitted that Russia and the US still maintain contact through the political scholars' channel for discussing Ukraine.

“We have non-public contacts with the Americans through political scientists, but people who know each other and understand their government policies,” he said.

Consultations at the non-governmental level involving experts and public figures are often referred to as the “second way.”

According to Foreign Minister Lavrov, one of the issues Russia is interested in the US opinion on is the possibility of abolishing the law prohibiting the use of Russian in future peace agreements with Kiev.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry said that American experts replied that this is an internal Ukrainian matter.

NBC News previously reported on secret contacts between Russia and the US over Ukraine.

According to this TV channel, Foreign Minister Lavrov held hours-long talks in New York in April with a group of former senior employees of the US National Security Agency.

According to NBC News, the two sides discussed the fate of the newly annexed territories and options for resolving the conflict through diplomatic channels that both Moscow and Kiev could accept.