In brief
At the G20 foreign‑ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Sergei Lavrov said Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s comments about ongoing strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful to forthcoming talks and that Russia’s position on the war has not shifted. Lavrov highlighted unresolved U.S.‑Russia issues, including sanctions and continued U.S. weapons supplies to Ukraine, and noted that both sides remain open to a three‑sided meeting with the United States. The statement came amid reports that the U.S. had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC‑3 missiles to Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday at a G20 foreign‑ministers’ meeting in Atlanta that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s remarks about continuing strikes on Russian targets were unhelpful to the preparation for new talks and that Moscow’s position on the conflict has not changed.
According to Reuters, Lavrov explained that the difference between Russia and Ukraine is unresolved on several points, with U.S. sanctions still in force and American arms supplies to Kyiv continuing. He added that "our position is known, but what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table, I don’t know."
During the sessions, Lavrov said that frequent Ukrainian comments that Kyiv is acquiring more weapons to strike Russian targets made preparation for negotiations difficult. He said "this kind of attitude doesn’t really help much in preparing for negotiations," according to Reuters.
Lavrov stressed that Russia had not altered its stance from the beginning of the special military operation and that it could not accept Ukraine as a military threat to its lawful security interests. He also warned that fundamental issues in U.S.–Russia relations were still unresolved, noting the continuing sanctions and the U.S. approval of $500 Patriot PAC‑3 missiles for Ukraine, a decision reported by the U.S. State Department the same day.
Both Russia and Ukraine have said they are willing to hold further three‑sided talks with the United States for the first time since the early part of the year, with President Zelenskiy hoping that a trilateral meeting could take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10. Zelenskiy also urged European involvement in the talks on how to end the war.
