Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has added a new obstacle to direct talks between Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting that a summit is still a long way off. Lavrov said on Sunday(August 24) that Russia has an “agenda” that must be agreed on before the two leaders can meet, despite efforts by US President Trump.
“There is no meeting planned,” Lavrov told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the summit to end the war will only happen if it has a “presidential agenda” that pleases Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also added that currently, the agenda is “not ready at all.”
The List Of Preconditions
- Ukraine must agree to not join NATO
- Discuss territorial issues
- Cancel a law that bans the Russian language
To Delay Puti-Zelenskyy Summit
Lavrov’s remarks should be considered as the latest effort by Moscow to delay a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This comes while Trump is trying quickly to arrange a bilateral meeting to end the 30-month-long war. Trump first met Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15 for a “listening session” about Putin’s demands. He then hosted European leaders and Zelensky at the White House on August 17. Trump said last week that the next step would be a bilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky, which has not happened since the war began in February 2022.
‘Zelensky Said No To Everything’
Lavrov said that Russia shared its preferred agenda with Trump in Anchorage. Trump then presented Russia’s points to European leaders at the White House. However, Lavrov claimed that Zelensky rejected all of Russia’s proposals.
Lavrov criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for stubbornly demanding a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at any cost. He also accused Ukraine’s authorities of trying to disrupt the process that was started by Putin and Trump, which, according to him, had produced good results. Lavrov further said that he hopes these attempts will not succeed.
