Lavrov: Ukraine’s participation in NATO is Russia’s red line

According to RCO News Agency, “Sergei Lavrov”, the head of the Russian diplomatic service, said in an interview 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 important 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 apparently by members of Trump’s team.

During his election campaign, US President-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 current front line, and the creation of a demilitarized zone controlled by peacekeepers from Ukraine’s European allies.

Lavrov said peace between Moscow and Kyiv would only come through “credible and legally binding agreements” that would address the root causes of the conflict and include mechanisms to prevent further violations.

The Russian foreign minister noted that Russia’s position on conflict resolution is “well known” and has been expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on multiple occasions, including at his year-end press conference earlier this month. At that event, 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 – preventing it from joining NATO – as well as restrictions on the deployment of foreign weapons in the country. Putin also emphasized that any dialogue should take into account 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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