Security guarantees

Lavrov emphasized Russia’s stance that it should be included in any international discussions concerning Ukraine’s security, following a meeting on Wednesday where defense leaders from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Ukraine, and NATO convened to deliberate potential protections that allies of Kyiv could provide.

“Security guarantees must be subject to consensus,” he said, claiming Russia had presented security guarantees “several times.”

According to Lavrov, Putin is open to meeting with Zelenskyy “once the agenda is prepared.” However, he indicated that Putin might not agree to any peace accord with Zelenskyy, whose legitimacy Moscow has called into question since Ukraine postponed elections last year due to martial law.

“Before documents can be signed, it is crucial to have a clear consensus that the individual signing is legitimate,” he stated. “Currently, as per the Ukrainian constitution, Mr. Zelenskyy does not fulfill that role.”

On Friday, optimism appeared to be on the wane in Washington.

Meanwhile, in a separate discussion with Welker, Vice President JD Vance noted that Russia had made “notable concessions” to Trump, including acknowledging Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” post-war and refraining “from installing a puppet regime in Kyiv.”

Vance admitted that the negotiations encountered “ups and downs,” expressing, “We’ll either successfully reach a resolution, or we’ll encounter a dead end,”

Trump also appeared to temper his expectations.

“We’ll see how things unfold,” he mentioned to reporters on Friday. “I believe within the next two weeks, the direction will become clear. I’m hopeful for a favorable outcome.”

“It’s going to be a very important decision, and that’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs, or both,” he continued. “Or do we do nothing and say, ‘It’s your fight.’”