WASHINGTON: Prospects for a Russia-Ukraine summit diminished on Friday as US mediation efforts stalled and Moscow dismissed plans for direct talks between the leaders.
President Donald Trump indicated waning patience with peace negotiations while comparing Russian and Ukrainian leaders to incompatible “oil and vinegar.”
Trump announced he would make a significant decision within two weeks regarding potential massive sanctions or tariffs against Russia.
“It takes two to tango,“ the US president stated during an Oval Office briefing while wearing a red baseball cap bearing the slogan “Trump was right about everything.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explicitly stated “no meeting planned” between Putin and Zelensky, questioning the Ukrainian president’s legitimacy.
Lavrov confirmed Putin remained “ready to meet Zelensky” but emphasized that no proper agenda had been established for such discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Ukraine had “no agreements with the Russians” and accused Moscow of attempting to prolong the conflict.
Security guarantees for Ukraine emerged as a central issue during recent diplomatic efforts led by the United States to broker a peace agreement.
Trump claimed Russia had accepted some Western security guarantees for Kyiv during his conversations with European leaders and Putin.
Lavrov subsequently dismissed discussions about security arrangements without Russian participation as “a road to nowhere.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, visiting Kyiv amid air raid alerts, emphasized that security guarantees were essential to prevent future Russian aggression.
The Kremlin has consistently opposed foreign troops in Ukraine, citing NATO aspirations as justification for its initial invasion.
Russia previously violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that provided security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for nuclear disarmament.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and displaced millions of people since the full-scale offensive began in 2022. – AFP
