The key facts

  • Lavrov said the meeting is possible only in Moscow and promised security guarantees to Zelensky
  • Peskov spoke of the need for “lengthy and meticulous work” for a summit of the three leaders
  • The Kremlin said it knew nothing about the trilateral contact announced by Trump

Condition for the leaders' meeting

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must come to Moscow if he wants to meet with Vladimir Putin. The remark was made at the press conference following the first day of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, as reported by Gazeta.Ru. According to Lavrov, the Russian leader himself had said the same.

Security guarantees and Kyiv's attitude

“We guarantee his safety and security, which, as I understand, cannot be guaranteed in Kyiv,” the outlet quoted the diplomat as saying. Lavrov also noted that the attitude of the Ukrainian politician, who keeps talking about strikes on Russia, “does not really help in preparing for negotiations.”

Trilateral summit: differing assessments

Lavrov's statement came amid conflicting signals about a possible meeting of the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and the United States. This week, Dmitry Peskov said such a meeting was possible but required “lengthy and meticulous work.” The American leader, meanwhile, suggested the summit could take place soon, citing “tremendous progress.” According to Peskov, Moscow knows nothing about the trilateral contact announced by Trump with Putin and Zelensky. Thus, the question of the venue and timing of a possible meeting of the leaders remains open: Moscow has set the condition that it be held in the Russian capital, while the timing is being discussed by the American side without coordination with the Kremlin.

G20 context

The Russian foreign minister's statement came against the backdrop of a tense atmosphere at the forum itself: earlier, at the G20 meeting, the group photo was canceled with Lavrov's participation.