Discussion on Ukraine security assurances excluding Moscow deemed a futile path by Russia
In a significant development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump and various European leaders at the White House on Monday. The gathering aimed to present a united European front while Trump revealed potential US security guarantees for Ukraine and discussed possible peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The meeting, which included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and others, aimed to push for a ceasefire before peace talks and permanent security guarantees for Ukraine.
However, the discussion of security guarantees for Ukraine does not include Russia, a fact emphasised by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, who stated that such discussions without Russian involvement are futile. Moscow has long stated it will not tolerate Kyiv joining NATO and has been hostile to the idea of Western troops being deployed to war-torn Ukraine.
Lavrov accused European leaders of making "clumsy attempts" to change the US president's position on Ukraine. He also claimed that the West's "confrontational position, a position to continue the war," does not find understanding in the current US administration. Instead, Lavrov said the US administration seeks to help eliminate the root causes of the conflict in Ukraine.
In a surprising turn of events, Trump claimed Putin has agreed to meet with Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine. However, in their phone call, Putin only told Trump he would consider raising the level of talks on Ukraine.
The conflict in Ukraine, initiated by Putin's order in February 2022, has resulted in the death of tens of thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes. The post-war security is a key concern for Ukraine after more than three years of Russian offensive.
Lavrov has emphasized that any summit between Putin and Zelensky must be prepared carefully to avoid worsening the situation around the conflict. As discussions continue, it remains to be seen how these tensions over Ukraine's security guarantees will be resolved.
This article is copyrighted by AFP in 2025.
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