'Road To Nowhere': Russia On Ukraine Security Talks Without Moscow, Downplays Putin-Zelenskyy Bilateral

Last Updated:August 20, 2025, 20:32 IST

Russia has not confirmed that President Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump that he had agreed to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy and accept some western security guarantees for Ukraine

The Kremlin's response comes after US President Donald Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to the White House on August 18. (Image: Reuters/File)

Though the White House remains unanimous in its agreement that there should be a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Kremlin’s latest response showed that it may not be as keen.

Russia on Wednesday downplayed talks of a bilateral by saying it had to be part of any discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine, tempering hopes for a quick peace deal.

In eastern Ukraine, far from the diplomatic deliberations, Russian forces claimed fresh advances on the ground and Ukrainian officials reported more deaths from Russian attacks.

The Kremlin said it had discussed the idea of “raising the level of representatives" at Ukraine talks in a 40-minute call with US President Donald Trump following his meeting with Zelenskyy.

“The idea was discussed that it would be appropriate to study the opportunity of raising the level of representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian sides," said Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, briefing reporters on Trump’s call with Putin.

Ushakov did not mention either leader by name, or any indication the “representatives" could be raised to that level.

The Kremlin’s response comes after Trump brought Zelenskyy and European leaders to the White House on Monday (August 18), three days after his landmark encounter with Putin in Alaska.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that “seriously discussing security guarantees without the Russian Federation is a utopia, a road to nowhere". He downplayed the meeting between Trump and European leaders, describing it as a “clumsy" attempt to change the US president’s position on Ukraine.

Russia has also not confirmed that Putin told Trump that he had agreed to meet Zelenskyy and accept some western security guarantees for Ukraine. Lavrov cast doubt on an imminent meeting between the two sides, saying any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy “must be prepared in the most meticulous way" so it does not lead to a “deterioration" of the situation surrounding the conflict.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said the latest strikes by Russian on Ukraine showed “the need to put pressure on Moscow", including through sanctions.

(With agency inputs)

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Moscow, Russia

First Published:

August 20, 2025, 20:32 IST

News world 'Road To Nowhere': Russia On Ukraine Security Talks Without Moscow, Downplays Putin-Zelenskyy Bilateral

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