Russia has dismissed ongoing Western efforts to craft post-war security guarantees for Ukraine without its involvement, warning that such discussions were “a road to nowhere.”
Speaking after talks with Jordan’s foreign minister on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow could not accept being excluded from negotiations that touch on Europe’s collective security. His remarks came after European leaders met U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington earlier this week.
“We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Lavrov told reporters. “Seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia.”
Lavrov also accused European leaders of “clumsy” lobbying of Trump, calling their efforts “aggressive, unethical, and unconstructive.” Trump has pledged U.S. support for Ukraine’s security in any peace deal but ruled out deploying American ground forces, though he left open the possibility of air support.
Meanwhile, NATO’s military leadership held a video conference on Wednesday to review recent Ukraine-related talks. “Priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace,” Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO’s military committee, wrote on X. A smaller group of military officials later continued discussions in Washington.
Tensions spiked further after Polish officials said a suspected Russian drone crashed in a cornfield in eastern Poland overnight. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz accused Moscow of provocation at a time when peace talks were intensifying.
In Kyiv, President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak confirmed that Ukraine and its allies had begun work on the military component of possible guarantees, saying preparations were also underway in case Russia “continues to prolong the war and disrupt agreements.”
Moscow insists any credible settlement must include its direct participation and reiterated its rejection of “any scenarios involving NATO troops in Ukraine.” Lavrov suggested that guarantees could be based on a 2022 Istanbul draft deal, which envisaged Ukraine receiving protection assurances from major powers, including Russia.
Kyiv rejected that plan at the time, arguing it would have given Moscow de facto veto power over its security.
The exchange underscores widening divisions between Russia and the West over how Ukraine’s long-term security should be shaped, and whether peace can be secured without Russia at the negotiating table.
Written By Rodney Mbua
