Security guarantees for Ukraine can't be discussed without Russia's participation, Lavrov claims
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Aug. 20 that he believes security guarantees for Ukraine cannot be discussed without Russia's participation.
He added that "seriously discussing security issues without Russia is a road to nowhere."
Lavrov also said that the U.S., U.K., France, and China could provide equal security guarantees for Ukraine, insisting that Moscow must also play a role.
"As for reports that the U.K., France, and Germany want to develop collective security guarantees, we support making these guarantees truly reliable," Lavrov claimed.
The minister argued that any deal should be based on the framework discussed during the Istanbul talks in 2022, which failed to produce a peace agreement.
"Our delegation then agreed to work out security guarantees involving all permanent members of the UN Security Council — Russia, China, the U.S., France, and the U.K.," he said. "Germany and Turkey were mentioned, as well as others that may be interested in joining this group."
His comments come as European leaders accelerate negotiations on a package of security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded binding assurances from allies to prevent Russia from launching another invasion.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Aug. 18 that guarantees would not involve NATO membership but instead rely on a strong Ukrainian army backed by commitments from a "coalition of the willing," which includes over 30 countries.
European officials told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 19 that a series of meetings among the countries participating in the "coalition of the willing" could take place in the coming days to work out the details.
Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19 that a package of security guarantees for Ukraine might be finalized this week. European officials have reportedly discussed sending British and French troops to Ukraine, along with contingents from roughly 10 other countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on Aug. 19 that Washington could provide air support as part of the guarantees but ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops.
