In a recent interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that a coalition of countries, including members of the UN Security Council, should guarantee Ukraine’s security.
Reuters reported last week, citing three high-level sources, that President Vladimir Putin demands Ukraine to relinquish complete control of the Donbas region in the east and abandon its ambitions to join NATO, opting instead for neutrality and prohibiting the deployment of Western forces on its soil.
In a conversation with NBC News, Lavrov mentioned that the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine was discussed between Putin and former President Donald Trump, recalling the unsuccessful Istanbul talks of 2022.
Lavrov emphasized that Ukraine’s security should be ensured by a group comprised of Security Council member states, which could also include Germany, Turkey, and other nations. He stated, according to the interview transcript published by the foreign ministry, “The guaranteeing countries will ensure Ukraine’s security, which should be neutral… unaligned with any military bloc, and free of nuclear weapons.”
He reiterated that Ukraine’s NATO membership is unacceptable to Russia and highlighted Moscow’s aim to protect Russian-speaking individuals in Ukraine.
Lavrov accused Western nations of attempting to obstruct negotiations regarding Ukraine and hindering the process initiated by Presidents Putin and Trump during the Alaska summit. He underscored the necessity for discussions with Ukraine about territorial matters.
Ally Forces
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to discuss territorial issues in a bilateral meeting with Putin. In an interview with an American media outlet, Kyslytsya, part of the Kyiv delegation during Zelenskyy’s recent meeting with Trump, expressed that “the initiation of dialogue concerning territories is the current combat contact line.”
According to AFP, Zelenskyy remarked in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was visiting Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day, that the matter of “having forces on the ground is significant for us.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that she discussed security guarantees with the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, during a meeting in Kyiv. She added, “It’s not solely about the military aspect, but also encompasses political stability and economic viability.”
Significant Concessions
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance opined that Russia has made “significant concessions” towards ending its war with Ukraine through negotiations, expressing confidence in progressing towards resolving the conflict. He told NBC that Putin has introduced several concessions, one being that Ukraine would receive security guarantees.
Vance noted, “They (the Russians) realized they would not be able to install a puppet regime in Kyiv. This was a primary demand initially. More importantly, they acknowledged there would need to be some security guarantees for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”