Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed speculation about an imminent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that “no meeting is planned” despite efforts from the United States to broker direct talks.
Speaking in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Friday, Lavrov said, “There is no meeting planned.” He clarified that while Putin is “ready to meet Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit,” the conditions for such a discussion are “not ready at all.”
His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump raised expectations for a swift meeting, claiming both leaders had agreed to hold direct talks following his reception of Zelensky alongside European allies at the White House earlier this week.
Lavrov also criticized the White House gathering, calling it a “clumsy” attempt by European partners to sway Washington’s position on Ukraine — a stance Trump had already discussed with Putin during their recent Alaska summit.
Discover more from Scoop Hub
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.