Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has poured cold water on the prospect of a Putin–Zelenskyy summit touted by Donald Trump, saying that a bilateral meeting at the highest level would only be possible “if all issues requiring discussion are thoroughly prepared.”
Lavrov further questioned whether Volodymyr Zelenskyy had the legitimacy to sign any future peace accord, parroting a familiar Kremlin line that portrays Ukraine’s leadership as illegitimate.
“Our President has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelenskyy with the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, and experts and ministers will prepare appropriate recommendations.
“And, of course, with the understanding that when and if – hopefully, when – it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved.”
Sergey Lavrov
Russian President, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskyy remains the legitimate President.
Russian officials say that they are worried that if Zelenskyy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskyy’s term had technically expired.
Lavrov’s remarks cast doubt on the prospects for peace talks, suggesting that Russia is retreating from the understandings reached in Alaska – where Trump claimed Putin had accepted western security guarantees for Ukraine – or that the US administration may have misinterpreted the Kremlin’s position from the outset.
Earlier, US President, Donald Trump announced that he was starting to prepare a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This meeting will take place in a place that has yet to be determined, after which negotiations will be held in a trilateral format, Trump wrote on the Truth Social network after his meeting with Zelenskyy and the leaders of European countries ended at the White House.
Trump has told advisers in recent days that he intends to host a trilateral meeting with the two leaders only after they have met first, although whether that initial conference takes place remains unclear and Trump does not intend to become involved in that effort.
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Trump also said that he thought it would be better for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet without him in the first instance.
“I just want to see what happens at the meeting. So they’re in the process of setting it up and we’re going to see what happens.”
Donald Trump
Trump’s reluctance to push Putin and Zelenskyy to a meeting comes as he has acknowledged in recent days that ending the war in Ukraine has been more difficult than he had anticipated, after saying on the campaign trail last year he could achieve it in 24 hours.
Lavrov Undermines Plans To Provide Ukraine With Security Guarantees
Also, Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow must have an effective veto over any measures to support Ukraine once a peace deal is reached, undermining western plans to provide Kyiv with security guarantees.
He stated that European proposals to deploy troops in Ukraine after a settlement would amount to “foreign intervention,” which he called absolutely unacceptable for Russia.
Lavrov said that the best option for a security guarantee for Ukraine would be based on discussions that took place between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022.
Under a draft of that document seen by a news agency, Ukraine was asked to agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
Any attempts to depart from the failed Istanbul discussions would be hopeless, Lavrov said, accusing European leaders of trying to undermine progress made at the Alaska summit.
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