Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is ready to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but emphasized that all matters requiring discussion must first be “well worked out.”
Lavrov stated this after talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ukrinform reports, citing BBC News Russian.
“Our president has repeatedly said he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelensky. But there must be an understanding that all issues requiring consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, with experts and ministers drafting the necessary recommendations,” Lavrov said.
At the same time, Lavrov once again questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, suggesting that a meeting could only take place “with the understanding that when and if it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person signing on behalf of Ukraine will have been resolved.”
Lavrov also rejected proposals by Ukraine’s European allies to deploy international troops on Ukrainian territory to guarantee security after a potential ceasefire with Moscow, calling such plans “absolutely unacceptable for the Russian Federation and for all reasonable political forces in Europe.”
On August 18, Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, expressing hope that the U.S. and European leaders would help find a diplomatic path to end the war. Zelensky said he expects a trilateral summit between the leaders of Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia.
Following an expanded-format meeting, Zelensky noted that Moscow prefers to hold a bilateral meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents first, followed by a three-way summit involving Trump.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently stated that a meeting between Zelensky and Putin could take place within the next two weeks.
On August 19, Lavrov also said that Russia did not rule out any negotiation formats regarding Ukraine — whether bilateral or trilateral.
Source: Putin open to meeting Zelensky but wants all issues 'well worked out' - Lavrov
