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Russia Accepts Ukraine’s Security Guarantees—But Insists Its Own Role Is Essential
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov floated the idea that Ukraine’s future security guarantees should be provided not just by Western powers, but also by Moscow and Beijing, according to Russian state-run media TASS on August 20.
Russia agrees that several countries should be involved “on an equal basis,” naming China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
“Russia agrees that security guarantees for Ukraine should be ensured on an equal basis with the participation of countries such as China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France,” Lavrov said.
He added that Moscow itself must also be included. “Moscow agrees that security guarantees for Ukraine should also be provided by Russia,” he stressed. “To seriously discuss security guarantees without Russia is a road to nowhere.”
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Lavrov used the remarks to take aim at European leaders, accusing them of pressuring Washington without offering real solutions.
According to Politico, Lavrov is again pushing the April 2022 Istanbul proposal of NATO-style guarantees for Ukraine, which collapsed when Moscow insisted all guarantors, including Russia, could veto any military intervention.
“Russia so far sees only aggressive escalation from the EU and clumsy attempts to change [President Donald] Trump’s position on a Ukrainian settlement,” he said.
Earlier, Lavrov stated that Russia is “not refusing” any form of work regarding the Ukrainian settlement, whether bilateral or trilateral. However, he added that “any contacts involving top leaders must be prepared very carefully.”
