Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Friday that there is currently no plan to hold a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
According to Qatar News Agency, Lavrov stated in an interview with NBC that Putin is prepared to meet Zelensky only when the summit agenda is ready, emphasizing that the agenda is not currently ready.
US President Donald Trump recently suggested the possibility of bringing Putin and Zelensky to the negotiating table, but it remains unclear whether both sides would agree to such a summit.
Lavrov noted that Washington is demanding both parties accept a set of preliminary principles for a settlement, including Ukraine not joining NATO and ceding some territory, explaining that Zelensky has rejected these terms.
He added that Kyiv does not seek a fair and lasting settlement of the conflict, accusing some European officials who accompanied Zelensky on his visit to the White House of unsuccessfully trying to sway Washington's stance on the crisis.
The Kremlin has said that it is open in principle to a meeting between Putin and Zelensky but insists such a summit should take place only at the final stage of peace negotiations, given the significant differences that remain between the two sides.