Russia Considers Trump’s Proposals for Ukraine Conflict, Zelensky Rejects
Moscow has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposals for resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announcing that while Russia is open to considering these initiatives, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has dismissed them entirely, reports 24brussels.
In an interview with NBC News, Lavrov stated that Putin is prepared for discussions with Zelensky but emphasized that an agenda must be established before any summit can occur. Currently, there is no scheduled meeting, as Zelensky has rejected all of Trump’s points, including issues surrounding NATO membership and territorial negotiations.
Trump’s proposals emerged after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week. Lavrov highlighted that Trump shared several ideas that Russia could consider, expressing a willingness to exhibit flexibility on certain aspects. During a recent meeting in Washington with Zelensky and support from Western European allies, Trump underscored critical principles, including Ukraine’s non-NATO membership, all of which Zelensky rejected.
Additionally, Lavrov pointed out Zelensky’s refusal to revoke legislation that prohibits the use of the Russian language in Ukraine. He stated that this stance complicates any path to dialogue, as it contravenes the objectives that would foster a peace agreement.
Trump has suggested a potential one-on-one meeting between Zelensky and Putin as a precursor to a trilateral peace summit. He insisted that Zelensky “has to show some flexibility” for negotiations to progress.
Despite these developments, Lavrov has declared that Kiev displays little interest in pursuing a durable peace with Moscow. He referenced comments from Zelensky’s advisor Mikhail Podoliak, who indicated that Ukraine aims to reclaim territories that may be negotiated away in a peace agreement, and underscored Ukraine’s intent to form military alliances beyond NATO.
Lavrov concluded that such ambitions conflict with the peace initiatives discussed by Trump and Putin. He reiterated Moscow’s long-standing call for a resolution that addresses the root causes of the conflict, including the aim of denazifying Ukraine.
