Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said he was unaware of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy’s proposal to halt attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
Grushko was responding to journalists’ questions about claims that Russia had rejected Kyiv’s proposal to halt attacks in the Black Sea. The Russian diplomat said he had no information about any such proposal from Zelenskyy.
Grushko said Russia remained committed to achieving lasting peace in Ukraine and eliminating the root causes of the conflict. He added that this position had been conveyed to all members of the international community through official and unofficial channels.

Assessment of the Vatican and CIA visits
Grushko also responded to analysts’ assessments linking the visit of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, head of the Vatican’s diplomatic service, to that of CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Grushko said the comments reflected the experts’ assessments and stated that the issues in question did not fall within the responsibility of the Russian Foreign Ministry. He added that intelligence services have their own communication channels.