Russia has dismissed Western efforts to craft security guarantees for Ukraine without its involvement, warning that such talks are meaningless and could further escalate tensions.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that attempts to resolve security issues while excluding Moscow were doomed to fail. “We cannot agree with the idea of resolving questions of collective security without the Russian Federation. This will not work. It’s a road to nowhere,” he said at a joint press conference with Jordan’s foreign minister.
His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump met European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Washington to discuss security guarantees aimed at ending the war. Lavrov accused European leaders of escalating tensions with “clumsy and unethical attempts” to influence the U.S. stance.
While NATO military leaders held video consultations, Lavrov reiterated that discussions about Ukraine’s security must directly involve Russia. Moscow also restated its rejection of any scenario involving NATO troops on Ukrainian soil.
The comments coincided with rising tensions in Poland, where authorities said a suspected Russian drone crashed in a cornfield, prompting accusations of deliberate provocation.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Kyiv and its allies were working on a military component for future security guarantees. He warned that Russia was prolonging the war and disrupting possible peace formats.
Lavrov, however, pointed to an earlier draft agreement discussed in Istanbul in 2022, under which Ukraine would have received guarantees from the five permanent UN Security Council members, including Russia. Kyiv rejected that framework, arguing it gave Moscow effective veto power over any defensive response.
