Russia on Tuesday strongly stated that there could not be any "long-term peace agreement" with Ukraine unless Russian security interests and "Russian-speaking people living in Ukraine" were addressed. This came a day after talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, during which Trump pledged to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the meeting.

"Without respect for Russian interests in terms of security, without complete respect for the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people living in Ukraine, there can be no discussion about any long-term agreements," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on state television channel Rossiya 24.

Lavrov also added that any meeting between Ukrainian and Russian presidents on how to end the conflict had to be "prepared very thoroughly". Trump had previously suggested a trilateral meeting if "everything worked out". "We're going to have a meeting. I think if everything works out well today, we'll have a trilateral and I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that," he had said.

"Any contacts with leaders should be made very well-prepared," Lavrov noted.

Meanwhile, Trump supported a "long-term" peace agreement rather than a "two-year" accord that would, in his words, only lead to "mess" once more.

The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy on Monday was described as a crucial moment in Washington's engagement with Kyiv as Russian aggression continued. Trump promised that the United States would remain committed to Ukraine's "future security" and stated that the negotiations were making "substantial progress". He presented the talks as part of wider diplomacy, citing his earlier meeting with Putin and his upcoming discussions with European leaders.

Trump emphasised his goal of achieving what he called a "long-term peace," rejecting the possibility of a short-term or fragile arrangement. Stressing that "we are going to work with Ukraine, we are going to work with everybody," he suggested that a trilateral summit between Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington is possible if negotiations advance. While noting that Putin wished to end the war, he dismissed the idea of a formal ceasefire, framing his diplomacy instead as an effort to create more durable agreements.

Other European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, attended the White House talks, adding to their significance. Starmer called the session a "historic step" for Ukraine and European security, while Finnish President Alexander Stubb said more had been achieved in the past fortnight than in the preceding three and a half years.

Keywords:
Russia-Ukraine war, Sergei Lavrov, Donald Trump Zelenskyy meeting, US Ukraine diplomacy