Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made it clear that Russia will not accept NATO peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as part of any peace agreement. This statement came after recent high-level discussions with the United States in Saudi Arabia.
“Any deployment of armed forces under another banner won’t change the situation. This is completely unacceptable,” Lavrov stated.
During these talks, both Russia and the US decided to form teams to explore ways to end the ongoing conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the meeting as “the first step of a long and challenging path, but an important one.”
Interestingly, Ukraine was not part of this dialogue, which surprised its President, Volodymyr Zelensky. He expressed concern over decisions being made without Ukraine’s involvement.
This meeting in Riyadh marked the first face-to-face encounter between Russian and American officials since Russia’s major invasion of Ukraine. The American delegation included Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. On the Russian side were presidential aide Yury Ushakov and the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev.
After the discussions, Lavrov mentioned that both nations would appoint ambassadors to each other’s countries soon to restore their cooperative relationship. He emphasized the positivity of the talks, stating that they listened and understood each other’s perspectives.
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s long-held stance that any expansion of NATO, particularly Ukraine’s potential membership, poses a direct threat to Russia. Rubio, meanwhile, voiced optimism about Russia’s willingness to engage in serious negotiations to resolve the conflict, while emphasizing the necessity of concessions from all sides.
Meanwhile, European leaders held a quick meeting in Paris to address the developments between Russia and the US. They struggled to agree on a unified response. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that any agreements regarding Ukraine would require strong US backing to prevent future Russian aggressions, suggesting the possibility of deploying UK troops to Ukraine. In contrast, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz deemed talk of sending troops to Ukraine as “completely premature.”
Rubio also highlighted that the European Union would need to participate in future discussions, given their role in imposing sanctions. He reassured that no one involved in the conflict was being sidelined. All parties need to agree on how to move forward, he said.
In Turkey, President Zelensky appeared visibly troubled when reacting to the Riyadh meeting. “We want a fair resolution where nobody makes decisions without us,” he stressed. He expressed concern over being left out of discussions critical to Ukraine’s future, knowing that the country’s ability to resist further Russian advances largely relies on American support.
