Russia: Security Negotiations Without Moscow Is The Road Of Buntu

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov/ction Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

JAKARTA - Russia says efforts to resolve security issues related to Ukraine without Moscow's participation are "endangered".

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered the statement two days after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine that could help end the war.

"We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve security, collective security issues, without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov said.

"I believe that in the West, especially in the United States, they understand very well that discussing security issues seriously without involving the Russian Federation is utopia, a dead end," Lavrov stressed.

US President Donald Trump previously hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would continue to advance in ending the war in Ukraine.

But Trump admits the Kremlin leader may not want to reach an agreement at all that would actually create a "difficult situation" for Putin.

In an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program, Trump expects Putin's direction to become clear in the coming weeks.

Trump has also again ruled out the possibility of American troops in Ukraine and provided no specific details about the security guarantees he previously said Washington could offer Kyiv in a postwar settlement.

"To be honest, I don't think it will be a problem (achieving a peace deal). I think Putin is bored. I think they are all bored, but we never know," Trump said.

"We will know about President Putin in the next few weeks. There is a possibility he does not want to reach an agreement," Trump, who previously threatened to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and its oil-buying countries if Putin does not make peace.

Ukraine and its European allies are optimistic with Trump's pledge of security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary summit on Monday, but are still facing many unanswered questions, including how much Russia's willingness to work together.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the negotiations at the White House with the US president as "a major step forward" to end Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years including preparing for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump in the coming weeks.

Zelenskyyy was accompanied by allied leaders, including Germany, France, and Britain, at the summit.

But behind all that is seen, the path to peace is still very uncertain and Zelenskyy may be forced to make a painful compromise to end the war, which began with a massive Russian invasion in February 2022.

Analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or injured in the conflict. Although negotiations in Washington provided little relief in Kyiv, the fighting did not subside.