Lavrov: Ukraine’s participation in NATO is Russia’s red line
The Russian Foreign Minister said that Moscow will not agree to the postponeme of Kyiv’s membership in NATO or the deployme of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. These two ideas were apparely proposed by Trump advisers as part of a poteial peace deal.
According to RCO News Agency, “Sergei Lavrov”, the head of the Russian diplomatic service, said in an ierview with the “Tass” News agency that was published today (Monday): “Russia has not received any signal from Trump’s team regarding negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.” We are always ready to negotiate. “But the importa thing is to understand with whom and about what to do them.”
Lavrov said that if negotiations are held with the next US administration, Moscow will not accept the proposals published in the media apparely by members of Trump’s team.
During his election campaign, US Preside-elect Donald Trump repeatedly promised to find a quick diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis if elected, but did not provide details on how to achieve this goal.
The Wall Street Journal reported in November that Trump’s advisers had drafted a plan to resolve the dispute. The proposal includes delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership for two decades, a freeze along the curre fro line, and the creation of a demilitarized zone corolled by peacekeepers from Ukraine’s European allies.
Lavrov said peace between Moscow and Kyiv would only come through “credible and legally binding agreemes” that would address the root causes of the conflict and include mechanisms to preve further violations.
The Russian foreign minister noted that Russia’s position on conflict resolution is “well known” and has been expressed by Russian Preside Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions, including at his year-end press conference earlier this moh. At that eve, Putin reiterated that Moscow is ready to negotiate with Kiev without any preconditions, other than what was already agreed in Istanbul in 2022.
These conditions include a neutral, non-aligned status for Ukraine – preveing it from joining NATO – as well as restrictions on the deployme of foreign weapons in the coury. Putin also emphasized that any dialogue should take io accou the realities on the ground that have emerged since 2022. This includes the status of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, which were declared part of Russia following a referendum held in the fall of the same year.
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