Kremlin 'ready to reach a deal' with US on Ukraine: Russia's foreign minister Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia is "ready" to negotiate with the US on Ukraine, though he added some elements need to be "fine-tuned."

During an interview with CBS News, which was released on Thursday, Lavrov acknowledged President Trump's mention of negotiations, stating, "mentions a deal and we are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific elements of this deal which need to be fine-tuned."

He expressed optimism about progress, noting positive indicators of forward movement.

Addressing queries about recent attacks on Ukraine that resulted in 12 fatalities and numerous injuries in Kyiv, Lavrov defended the actions: "We only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military."

He further justified the strikes, explaining that military commanders have authority to attack locations utilised by Ukrainian forces.

Still, on the talks with Ukraine, there are "several signs that we are moving in the right direction," Lavrov said. Among them, he cited Trump as "probably the only leader on Earth who recognized the need to address the root causes of this situation."

On Thursday, Trump posted an unusual criticism of Russian actions on social media: "I am not happy with the Russian strikes. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!"

Following Thursday's devastating Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky abbreviated his South African diplomatic mission to return to the capital immediately.