Moscow [Russia], August 20 : Russia on Wednesday warned that attempting to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without the participation of Moscow is a "road to nowhere", two days after European leaders met US President Donald Trump to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv, Al Jazeera reported.
"We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to Al Jazeera.
"I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia; it's a road to nowhere," he added.
Lavrov's comments come after US President Trump on Monday hosted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside prominent European leaders at the White House, and days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Al Jazeera reported that Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy towards a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbour, though major obstacles remain.
The Russian official said any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy "must be prepared in the most meticulous way" so the meeting does not lead to a "deterioration" of the situation around the conflict, Al Jazeera reported.
Lavrov also accused European leaders of making "clumsy attempts" to change the US president's position on Ukraine. "We have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president," he said, referring to Monday's meeting.
"We did not hear any constructive ideas from the Europeans there," Lavrov added.
Meanwhile, NATO military chiefs are due to meet on Wednesday (local time) to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine amid efforts to broker a ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported. The alliance's Military Committee said that 32 defence chiefs from across NATO would hold a video conference, with US General Alexus Grynkewich, who oversees NATO's operations in Europe, also taking part in the talks.
Kyiv's European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan, and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative. Military chiefs are considering how that security force might work, while the role of the US remains unclear. Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending US troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia.
Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine.
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