Russian Foreign Minister Warns Ukraine Security Talks Without Moscow Are Road to Nowhere

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has strongly asserted that any discussions on Ukraine's security guarantees excluding Russia are futile, calling such efforts a "road to nowhere." His comments followed a recent meeting at the White House where President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to discuss potential security arrangements for Ukraine. Lavrov criticized European attempts to influence Trump's position as clumsy and unconstructive, emphasizing Moscow's demand for direct involvement in all negotiations concerning Ukraine and European security. He highlighted the 2022 Istanbul draft accord as a viable framework, which proposed Ukraine's neutrality and security guarantees from multiple countries, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, in exchange for Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions. While Trump ruled out deploying US troops on the ground, he indicated that air support might be part of a peace deal. NATO leaders are also preparing to meet on security guarantees, but skepticism remains about the prospects of a rapid resolution without Russia's participation.