Lavrov says US pullout from 'Enkoridzh' deals prolonged war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States of prolonging the war in Ukraine by withdrawing from what he called the "Enkoridzh" agreements reached at a summit in Alaska, saying the pullout prevented an earlier end to hostilities.

Lavrov repeated Moscow's claim that deals allegedly struck between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at an Alaska summit in 2025 existed, and said Washington later disavowed them. "If the Americans had not withdrawn from the Enkoridzh agreements and Europe had not led the US away from them, we would have been living without war for a year already," he said.

American officials have denied that such agreements exist. Lavrov nonetheless insisted Russia remains open to talks even as diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement have stalled. Special envoys sent by Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, visited Moscow and Kyiv this month but did not secure progress toward a ceasefire.

Lavrov also accused the United States of being involved in strikes on civilian targets inside Russia and demanded clarification. "We are waiting for an explanation," he said.

Frontline developments in Donetsk

On the ground in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive operation in the northern part of Donetsk, one of four regions President Vladimir Putin annexed in 2022.

Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, who took command of Donetsk's defence last month, said the Third Army Corps "cleared an area of 75 square kilometers of infiltrated Russian groups and captured another 10 square kilometers. The operation is called 'Vivaldi'." He added that the fighting is taking place north of the key strongholds of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

While overall Russian advances have slowed this year, Moscow's forces continue to press toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk and have pushed deeper into the eastern town of Kostiantynivka.

Photo: press material from the event