In brief
At a G20 foreign‑ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Sergei Lavrov said Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s comments about further strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful and that Moscow’s position on the Ukraine conflict is unchanged. He highlighted unresolved U.S.–Russia issues such as sanctions and continued arms supplies to Kyiv, while both sides indicated willingness to keep trilateral talks alive. The remarks raise questions about what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
On Friday at a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s remarks about continuing strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful in preparing for new talks and that Moscow’s position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged.
Lavrov made the remarks in front of reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that brings together the foreign ministers of the world’s largest economies to discuss economic and security challenges in the wake of the war in Ukraine.
Lavrov said, “Our position is known, but what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table, I don’t know,” adding that “this kind of attitude doesn’t really help much in preparing for negotiations.”
He stressed that fundamental issues between the United States and Russia were still unresolved, citing the ongoing sanctions regime against Moscow and the continued provision of arms to Kyiv.
Both Russia and Ukraine have said they are willing to hold further three‑sided talks with the United States for the first time since early in the year, and Zelenskiy has called for a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10, with Europe also invited to discuss peace.
Lavrov said Moscow calls the conflict a “special military operation’’ and declined to accept Ukraine as a military threat to its lawful security interests, reaffirming that Russia’s position has not changed from the start of the operation.
In a related development, the United States announced it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC‑3 missiles to Ukraine, a move that the Russian diplomat cited as evidence of U.S. support for Kyiv’s continued fight.
Foreign ministers at the G20 meeting reportedly skipped the traditional group photo, and several refused to appear alongside Lavrov, signaling deep diplomatic tensions.
Earlier this year, Lavrov had praised the United States’ effort to keep G20 discussions depoliticized, saying the focus should remain on agreed economic issues such as energy, food and supply chains.
The key issue that remains unsettled is what Ukraine will bring to the negotiating table and how the countries will resolve remaining points such as sanctions, arms deliveries and a cease‑fire agreement, officials from both sides said.
Reuters notes that the comments come as Russia prepares to hold its first round of formal talks on Ukraine since March, while the United States continues to provide military aid to Kyiv.
