Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov elaborated on Moscow’s position Friday as the momentum toward a possible peace settlement in Ukraine appeared to lose steam. Just a week ago, optimism had risen following a high-profile summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Now, that optimism is fading.
In an interview with NBC News, Lavrov discussed the lack of movement in negotiations, stating that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had rejected all of the proposals presented by Trump during their meeting at the White House earlier this week. Lavrov asserted that this refusal effectively blocked any chance of progress at this stage.
Lavrov emphasized Russia’s willingness to maintain dialogue but stressed that a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky—something Trump has repeatedly advocated—could not happen without a detailed agenda. “President Putin has clearly stated that he is ready to meet, provided that this meeting has a real agenda, a presidential agenda. But that’s a big if… The meeting is not scheduled. And I don’t dispute that. But I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the summit agenda is ready. And there is no such agenda yet,” Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, after the Alaska summit, Russia signaled “flexibility” on several proposals raised by Trump. However, with Zelensky reportedly rejecting key points—including Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, the consideration of territorial adjustments, and conditions linked to future security arrangements—progress has become “impossible” for the time being.
On Thursday, Trump expressed frustration over the stagnating process, reverting to his more aggressive posture toward Russia. In a Truth Social post, he criticized Biden for what he described as preventing Ukraine from “fighting back” and hinted that nations under attack should have the right to strike the aggressor. He concluded the post cryptically, stating: “interesting times ahead.”