Russia’s foreign minister said on Friday that no summit between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is planned, despite the United States’ efforts to broker a peace deal. The comments, made in an interview with NBC News, followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s promotion of the idea of imminent talks, and highlighted differences over the path to negotiations.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the Kremlin would only agree if the session had a concrete agenda. “There is no meeting planned,” he added.
Lavrov claimed Zelenskyy rejected points raised by Trump, including no NATO membership for Ukraine, discussion of territorial issues and canceling legislation prohibiting the Russian language. The language claim is false, NBC noted, as Ukraine has not outlawed Russian.
What has been the United States’ role?
After conferring separately with Putin in Alaska and later with Zelenskyy in Washington, Trump promoted the idea of a summit. He has argued that Ukraine should not join NATO and should consider ceding territory to Russia. After the White House session, Trump announced preparations were underway for a Putin-Zelenskyy summit, possibly followed by a trilateral meeting.
On Thursday, Trump told conservative radio host Todd Starnes that he would know “within two weeks” whether the talks were moving forward. “After that, we’ll have to maybe take a different track,” he said.
How has Zelenskyy responded?
Zelenskyy said this week he was willing to meet with Putin, but accused Moscow of avoiding talks while escalating strikes. He called for Washington to respond with additional sanctions and financial pressure.
Military leaders from several NATO countries and Ukraine gathered this week to outline potential security assurances. U.S. officials said their proposals will next be reviewed by national security advisers.
Where could a summit take place?
Even if talks advance, deciding on a venue remains challenging. An International Criminal Court arrest warrant restricts Putin’s travel, since many European states are obligated to detain him if he enters their territory.
Switzerland has offered Geneva as a neutral site, and Austria has indicated openness to hosting. Hungary has also been mentioned. Other possible hosts include Turkey and Qatar, which have served as mediators in past international disputes.
What comes next?
Lavrov said Russia’s participation was essential in any long-term deal, dismissing alternative efforts as “a utopia, a road to nowhere.”
Putin has previously indicated he would only meet Zelenskyy once a deal had been worked out. Lavrov’s latest comments reinforced that stance, leaving doubts over whether Trump’s effort can lead to a summit soon.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, escalating a conflict that began with its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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Author: Alan Judd
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