WASHINGTON, September 19 (HS/RIA Novosti) - European countries may try to hinder progress in the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict at the UN General Assembly, former UK Ambassador to Syria Peter Ford told RIA Novosti.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he is planning to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the General Assembly. During the meeting, the minister plans to clarify with Rubio the State Department's position on the Ukrainian settlement, including on US mediation efforts.

The problem is that the Europeans, not for the first time, will no doubt try to sabotage any progress, Ford said, commenting on the prospects for contacts on the Ukrainian crisis on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Nevertheless, Moscow and Kiev may agree to such negotiations if Washington proposes holding them during the high-level week, Ford added.

Russia and the US intensified contacts on the Ukrainian settlement in early September. On September 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks at the Kremlin with US President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Following their meetings in Moscow, the envoys went to Kiev.

Moscow has stated its readiness to resume trilateral negotiations between Russia, the US and Ukraine. The possibility of holding a new round is being discussed for October. The previous meeting in this format took place in February in Geneva.

The general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly will be held in New York from September 22-26 and will conclude on September 28.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar