Russia’s prime diplomat Sergey Lavrov accuses Ukrainian President Zelenskyy of claiming ‘no to all the things’.
Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov has mentioned there is no such thing as a agenda for a possible summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that there is no such thing as a plan for such a gathering.
Talking to NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker”, Lavrov mentioned in feedback aired on Friday that Putin had made clear he was prepared to fulfill Zelenskyy to debate a doable deal to finish the war in Ukraine, offered there was a correct agenda for such a session, one thing he mentioned was missing for now.
Each Russia and Ukraine try to point out US President Donald Trump that they’re able to attempt to strike a peace deal, one thing the US chief has mentioned he needs to dealer, whereas accusing the opposite of not being honest or prepared to barter in good religion.
“Putin is able to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda can be prepared for a summit. And this agenda shouldn’t be prepared in any respect,” Lavrov instructed NBC, saying no assembly was subsequently deliberate for now.
Lavrov mentioned Russia had agreed to point out flexibility on quite a few points raised by Trump at a US-Russia summit final week, however accused Ukraine of not exhibiting the identical flexibility in talks with Trump and European allies that adopted in Washington.
“He [Trump] clearly indicated – it was very clear to all people that there are a number of ideas which Washington believes should be accepted, together with no NATO membership [for Ukraine], together with the dialogue of territorial points, and Zelenskyy mentioned no to all the things,” mentioned Lavrov.
“He even mentioned no to, as I mentioned, to cancelling laws banning the Russian language. How can we meet with an individual who’s pretending to be a pacesetter?”
‘Moscow needs japanese Donbas’
Trump had imposed an August 8 deadline for Putin to conform to an finish to the war or face new sanctions towards Russia and international locations that purchase its oil, however as an alternative agreed to fulfill the Kremlin chief at a summit in Alaska final Friday.
Since then, Russia has proven little motion, sustaining most of its longstanding calls for whereas proposing to freeze the entrance line in two Ukrainian areas it claims as its personal, and expressing a readiness to probably hand again comparatively small items of Ukrainian territory it controls.
Putin needs Ukraine to surrender the entire japanese Donbas area, resign ambitions to affix NATO, stay impartial and hold Western troops in a foreign country, three sources aware of top-level Kremlin considering have instructed the Reuters information company.
Zelenskyy, who has mentioned he doesn’t wish to “reward” Russia any territory, mentioned on Friday the Kremlin was doing all the things it may to make it possible for a gathering between him and Putin didn’t happen. He referred to as on Ukraine’s allies to use new sanctions on Moscow if it confirmed no need to finish the struggle.