Kremlin casts doubt on Trump’s push for Ukraine peace as rifts remain unresolved

Security guarantees

Lavrov addressed Russian demands that it should be a part of any international talks on Ukraine’s security after defense chiefs from the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Ukraine and NATO met Wednesday to hash out protections that Kyiv’s allies could offer in a deal.

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

Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy “when the agenda is ready,” Lavrov said. But he suggested that Putin would not sign a peace agreement with Zelenskyy, whose legitimacy Moscow has questioned since Ukrainian elections were postponed last year amid martial law.

“When we come to a stage when you have to sign documents, we would need a very clear understanding by everybody that the person who is signing is legitimate,” he said. “And according to the Ukrainian constitution, Mr. Zelenskyy is not at the moment.”

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

In a separate interview with Welker, Vice President JD Vance said Russia had made “significant concessions” to Trump, including recognizing Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” after the war and not trying “to install a puppet regime in Kyiv.”

But Vance acknowledged there were “hills and valleys” in the negotiations. “We’re going to eventually be successful, or we’ll hit a brick wall,” he said.

Trump also appeared to temper his expectations.

“We’ll see what happens,” he told reporters on Friday. “I think over the next two weeks, we’re going to find out which way it’s going to go. And I better be very happy.”

“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.’”