No plans for Putin–Zelensky meeting: Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said there are currently no plans for a meeting between President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Responding to reports in US media, he noted that such talks would require a clear agenda and prior agreements, but “that process has not even begun.”

In an interview with NBC journalist Kristen Welker last Friday, Lavrov said, “There is no preparation for a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky. Such a meeting requires an agenda, but so far there has been no progress at all.”

He added, “Before any meeting, Washington and Kyiv must at least reach initial agreements on key issues like NATO membership and territorial exchanges. But Zelensky continues to take a negative stance on these matters.”

It is worth noting that diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have recently increased under US mediation. On August 15, Putin met US President Donald Trump in Alaska. Three days later, on August 18, Trump met Zelensky and European leaders in Washington.

Following those meetings, Trump declared that his administration was working to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky, with the US potentially serving as host. Lavrov, however, has made it clear that no real foundation for such talks currently exists.

He also dismissed Trump’s recent discussions with European leaders, describing them as nothing more than “a failed attempt to increase pressure on Russia.”