Russia has warned that attempting to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without the participation of Moscow is a “road to nowhere”, days after European leaders met US President Donald Trump to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv.
“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,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.
“I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia; it’s a road to nowhere.”
The minister’s comments come two days after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside prominent European leaders at the White House, and days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy towards a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbour, but major obstacles remain.
The Russian official said any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy “must be prepared in the most meticulous way” so the meeting does not lead to a “deterioration” of the situation around the conflict.
Lavrov also accused European leaders of making “clumsy attempts” to change the US president’s position on Ukraine.
“We have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president,” he said, referring to Monday’s meeting.
“We did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there,” Lavrov added.
NATO talks
NATO military chiefs are due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the details of potential security guarantees for Ukraine amid efforts to broker a ceasefire to Russia’s offensive.
NATO’s Military Committee said that 32 defence chiefs from across the alliance would hold a video conference.
US General Alexus Grynkewich, who oversees NATO’s operations in Europe, will also take part in the talks.
Kyiv’s European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative.
Military chiefs are considering how that security force might work. The role that the US might play is unclear. Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending US troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia.
Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine.
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