Russian official declares that Ukraine should be excluded from NATO in any peace agreement.
President Donald Trump of the United States has announced plans to converse with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday regarding the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
While addressing journalists aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump remarked that “significant progress” had been made over the weekend.
“Our goal is to see if we can bring this war to a close,” Trump stated. “It’s possible we can, and it’s possible we can’t, but I believe we have a very favorable opportunity.”
When queried about potential concessions in the ceasefire negotiations, Trump indicated that topics would include territorial divisions and power plants.
“I believe many aspects have already been thoroughly discussed by both parties, Ukraine and Russia,” he noted.
“Discussions about dividing certain assets are already happening.”
Trump’s remarks followed shortly after a senior Russian official was cited in a local media outlet declaring that any peace agreement would exclude Ukraine’s NATO membership.
In an interview with the Russian publication Izvestia, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that Moscow would require “ironclad security guarantees” in order to endorse a ceasefire.
“Only by establishing such guarantees can we achieve lasting peace in Ukraine and enhance overall regional security. A neutral stance for Ukraine and NATO nations refraining from admitting it as a member of the alliance should form part of these guarantees,” Grushko was reported as saying.
“This provision was meticulously detailed in the drafts of the aforementioned agreements. Currently, discussions are not taking place, as no negotiations are underway.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned to UJ that the two leaders were poised to engage in a “very positive and constructive discussion” this week.
Washington aims to persuade both sides to agree on an immediate 30-day truce, a proposal that emerged from discussions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last week.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has endorsed the proposal, Putin has yet to fully commit, stating that he supports it in principle.
Last week, the Russian leader commented that the plan primarily benefits Kyiv since Russian forces were advancing and he had “serious questions” regarding the initiative.
Zelenskyy accused Moscow on Saturday of not genuinely seeking to end the conflict and attempting to “improve their situation on the battlefield” before agreeing to a ceasefire.
In recent weeks, Russia has successfully pushed Ukrainian forces from most of its Kursk region, which Kyiv had controlled an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory since the height of its offensive launched in August.
