Russia has issued a sharp warning to the West, declaring that attempts to resolve Ukraine’s security without Moscow’s involvement would be futile. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that leaving Russia out of peace talks risks derailing any progress toward a settlement of the conflict.
Speaking in Moscow on Wednesday, Lavrov said: “We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work.” He insisted that Washington and European capitals understand that “seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia; it’s a road to nowhere.”
His remarks came two days after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside European leaders at the White House, and shortly after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump is seeking to steer both leaders toward a settlement more than three years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though major obstacles remain.
Lavrov cautioned that any potential summit between Putin and Zelenskyy “must be prepared in the most meticulous way”to avoid worsening the conflict. He also accused European leaders of offering “clumsy attempts” to sway Trump’s position on Ukraine, saying, “We have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president. We did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there.”
Meanwhile, NATO military chiefs convened Wednesday in a video conference to discuss possible security guarantees for Kyiv. The alliance confirmed that 32 defence chiefs participated, including US General Alexus Grynkewich, who oversees NATO operations in Europe. Kyiv’s allies are exploring the creation of an international security force, with backing from 30 countries including Japan and Australia, though the role of the United States remains unclear. Trump has ruled out deploying American troops to defend Ukraine.
Russia, for its part, has repeatedly rejected the idea of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil. In a related development, Poland accused Moscow of fresh provocations after an object suspected to be a Russian drone landed in a cornfield in eastern Poland. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said, “Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation, with a Russian drone, in a crucial moment, when discussions about peace are underway.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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