Russia warns Ukraine security talks without Moscow are futile
NATO military chiefs planned to deliberate details of potential security assurances for Ukraine while seeking to mediate an end to Russia's ongoing offensive.
Lavrov emphasised that 'seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere'.
He informed reporters that 'we cannot agree that it is now suggested to solve collective security issues without the Russian Federation'.
President Vladimir Putin initiated Russian military operations in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties and millions displaced from their homes.
US President Donald Trump, following Monday's conversation with Putin, stated the Russian leader had consented to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and accept certain Western security guarantees.
Lavrov clarified that during their phone discussion, Putin merely told Trump he would 'think about raising the level of' negotiations concerning Ukraine.
The foreign minister insisted that any potential Putin-Zelensky summit 'must be prepared in the most meticulous way' to prevent worsening the conflict situation.
Lavrov additionally criticised European leaders for their 'clumsy attempts' to alter the US president's stance on Ukraine during their White House visit.
He noted that 'we have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president' regarding Monday's meeting.
Lavrov further commented that 'we did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there' during the discussions.
He observed that the West's 'confrontational position, a position to continue the war, does not find understanding in the current US administration, which... seeks to help eliminate the root causes of the conflict'.
Post-conflict security remains a primary concern for Ukraine after more than three years of Russian military operations.
Moscow has consistently opposed Kyiv's potential NATO membership and expressed hostility toward Western troop deployments in the war-affected nation. – AFP
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