Security guarantees
Lavrov addressed the Russian demands that should be part of any international conversation about Ukraine’s security after the United States defense chiefs, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Ukraine and NATO met on Wednesday to make protections that kyiv’s allies could offer in an agreement.
“Security guarantees must be subject to consensus,” he said, claiming that Russia had submitted security guarantees “several times.”
Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy “when the agenda is ready,” Lavrov said. But he suggested that Putin would not sign a peace agreement with Zelenskyy, whose Moscow legitimacy has questioned since the Ukrainian elections were postponed last year in the midst of martial law.
“When we reach a stage in which you have to sign documents, we would need a very clear understanding of all that the person who is signing is legitimate,” he said. “And according to the Ukrainian Constitution, Mr. Zelenskyy is not at this time.”
On Friday, optimism seemed to be decreasing in Washington.
In a separate interview with Welker, vice president JD Vance said Russia had made “significant concessions” for Trump, including the recognition of “territorial integrity” of Ukraine after war and not trying to “install a puppet regime in kyiv.”
But Vance acknowledged that there were “hills and valleys” in the negotiations. “We will eventually be successful, or we will hit a brick wall,” he said.
Trump also seemed to moderate his expectations.
“We will see what happens,” journalists told Friday. “I think in the next two weeks, we will discover how it will go. And it will be better to be very happy.”
“It will be a very important decision, and that is whether they are massive sanctions or massive rates, or both,” he continued. “Or we do nothing and say: ‘It’s your fight.'”
