In a recent interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western nations of obstructing peace talks aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The comments came after a surge of diplomatic activities appeared to reach a standstill, raising concerns about the prospects for a resolution.
Lavrov referred to the situation as one where Western countries are looking for excuses to prevent progress in negotiations. He emphasized this perception during an interview with the state TV station Rossiya, which was disseminated through Telegram. According to Lavrov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is partly to blame for the deadlock, as he has been “obstinately insisting” on a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, setting conditions that complicate the dialogue.
Lavrov further asserted that the Ukrainian authorities are undermining a process established by Presidents Putin and Donald Trump, which he claimed had previously yielded positive results. He expressed hope that the efforts to derail the negotiations would be thwarted, underscoring the Kremlin’s stance on maintaining diplomatic avenues open.
On Friday, Lavrov made it clear that there were currently “no plans” for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. The previous week, Zelensky had accused Russia of attempting to evade responsibilities regarding the potential meeting. While Zelensky has shown a willingness to engage directly with Putin, he has conditioned this on achieving security guarantees from his allies that would prevent future Russian aggression after the conflict ends.
In response to these developments, Moscow stated that discussions about potential security guarantees for Ukraine are off the table unless the current conditions are met. Additionally, Russia has signaled that the presence of European troops in Ukraine would be “absolutely unacceptable,” further complicating the dialogue between the conflicting parties.
