Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said on Sept. 5 that Washington should
take battlefield realities into account in any mediation over Ukraine, and that
the situation is moving in a direction unfavorable to Kyiv. He said the key
question is whether the US is prepared to invest effort in finding a genuine
solution that accounts for battlefield realities and the conflict's changing
dynamics. Ryabkov said the Aug. 2025 Russia–US leaders' meeting in Anchorage and
subsequent events show doubts persist over whether Washington can keep its
stance within a rational framework and resist pressure from circumstances and
parties opposed to mediation; those issues remain unresolved.
