Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that a meeting between President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky is possible only if key issues are thoroughly prepared. Putin himself has made similar statements well before Donald Trump raised the possibility of a trilateral US-Russia-Ukraine summit.
Lavrov now says that such a meeting in August is unlikely, as Russia is reverting to its traditional tactic of delaying: first working groups, then delegations, and only afterwards a possible leaders' summit. Meanwhile, Putin continues to consider Zelensky illegitimate and questions his authority to sign potential agreements.
The Kremlin remains unwilling to make concessions beyond its 2022 demands and insists on 'Istanbul security guarantees', which would include Russia as a guarantor. Former Russian president Medvedev has reaffirmed that Moscow will not allow any foreign peacekeeping forces, especially those from NATO member states.
Amidst recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian regions, including Lviv and Zakarpattia, it has again been demonstrated that there are no safe zones in Ukraine during this war. At the same time, Trump is not intensifying sanctions against Russia, a situation that Putin finds favorable, as China and India remain Russia's key partners.
Looking ahead, Putin intends to preserve the status quo until the next US administration, at which point he will look for new diplomatic formats. Until then, the Kremlin's main strategy is to prevent Trump or any Western side from exerting enough diplomatic or sanction pressure to alter Russia's course.
Overall, the possibility of a top-level meeting is being delayed, with Putin using the negotiation process to buy time and continue hostilities on Ukrainian territory.
