Lavrov: Zelensky Must Visit Moscow for Putin Meeting; Ukraine File Stalled
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that the process of drafting final documents for the G20 summit in Miami, USA, has commenced, although obstacles are expected along the way. The senior Russian official also noted that the United States’ leadership of the G20 provides a suitable platform for achieving executive agreements.
Regarding Poland’s membership in the G20, Lavrov stated that the country’s presence adds no value to the group and that Moscow sees no need for another European voice within it. The head of Russian diplomacy reported holding consultations with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Atlanta.
According to his statements, discussions during this meeting covered the dimensions of bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Washington, as well as multilateral relations between the two countries. Lavrov added that both sides exchanged views on cooperation within multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, the G20, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China. He emphasized that Moscow supports Washington’s focus on steering G20 discussions away from political discourse.
Concerning the outlook for Moscow-Washington relations, the Russian Foreign Minister indicated that the clarity of these relations will become more apparent after the US midterm elections, based on future actions. He expressed gratitude for the Trump administration’s stance on recognizing the fundamental roots of the Ukraine conflict, noting that Moscow’s positions on this matter remain unchanged since the last trilateral meeting.
Addressing the issue of frozen Russian diplomatic assets in the United States, Lavrov stated that no progress has been made regarding the return of these assets. The Russian Foreign Minister further stressed: “If Zelensky wants to meet with President Putin, he must come to Moscow immediately.” He also pointed out that the current approach of Europeans has shown that their credibility and standing must be considered when discussing guarantees for Ukraine agreements.
He added that Zelensky’s stance regarding an attack on Russia does not facilitate the preparation process for the Abu Dhabi summit. Lavrov mentioned that the exact timing of this summit will be announced to the public once it is finalized. Recalling the previous round of talks in Anchorage, Alaska, the Russian Foreign Minister stated: “In August 2025, we thought we had reached an agreement, but unfortunately, that is not the case.”
He also explained that the Trump administration was unable to secure full support from Moscow for its plans, and Europeans hastily tried to dissuade Trump from insisting on the initiative agreed upon with Russia. Lavrov concluded by describing the necessity of holding a summit between Russia, the United States, and China in Shenzhen as very high, given the current circumstances.
