August 21, 2025 | 03:48 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergei Lavrov emphasized that discussing security guarantees for Ukraine without involving Moscow would not solve the problem.
"I am confident that in the West, and especially in the U.S., they fully understand that seriously discussing security guarantees without involving Russia is a utopia — a road to nowhere," Lavrov said in a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, as cited from The Moscow Times.
Lavrov added that Western efforts to sideline Russia would not address the root causes of the war. "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," he said, as quoted from Al Jazeera. He also reiterated that Russia will not back down from its interests.
NATO Member Meeting
Lavrov's comments came alongside a virtual meeting of military chiefs from 32 NATO member countries discussing security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a possible peace agreement with Moscow.
Two days earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders.
Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to accept some form of guarantee for Ukraine. He mentioned that U.S. support could include air defense, but stressed that no troops would be sent. In Europe, plans for the deployment of British and French troops resurfaced.
Russia-Ukraine Meeting Plan
Trump is now pushing for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Zelensky has expressed his readiness, but Russia has not provided certainty. Lavrov said a high-level meeting must be prepared with great caution to avoid worsening the situation and drawing negotiation conclusions.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, stated that Kyiv has begun intensive coordination with national security advisors from Germany, Italy, France, Britain, Finland, the European Union, and NATO. "Immediately after returning from Washington, I held the first and very lengthy coordination conversation," he said on Telegram. Yermak emphasized that Ukraine is prepared with any format for discussions to end the war between the two countries.
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