Russia ruled out an imminent meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, insisting there is no agreed framework for talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov told NBC that while Vladimir Putin was prepared to meet, “the agenda is not ready at all.”
“Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all,” Sergei Lavrov said, asserting, “Therefore, no meeting is planned for now.”
Sergei Lavrov accused Zelenskyy of rejecting key principles raised by US President Donald Trump in recent peace efforts, including Ukraine staying out of NATO and discussing disputed territory.
“Zelenskyy said no to everything,” Lavrov said, questioning whether the Ukrainian leader was serious about negotiations.
Both Russia and Ukraine have sought to present themselves as open to talks under Donald Trump’s mediation, while accusing the other of blocking progress. Donald Trump had set an August 8 deadline for Moscow to agree to terms or face new sanctions, but instead hosted Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last week.
Since then, Moscow has shown little sign of compromise, insisting on long-standing demands that Kyiv renounce NATO membership and accept Russian claims in eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has said Russia is deliberately stalling as he accused the Kremlin of “doing everything it can to make sure a meeting does not take place” and called for tougher sanctions if Moscow continued to resist negotiations.
