Lavrov says no Putin-Zelenskyy meeting planned

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that no meeting is scheduled between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, contradicting recent White House suggestions that direct talks could soon take place.

“There is no meeting planned,” Lavrov told NBC in an interview. “Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all.”

“President Trump suggested, after Anchorage, several points which we share and on some of them, we agreed to be -- to show some flexibility,” he continued.

Lavrov accused Kyiv of rejecting potential compromises, including neutrality on NATO membership, territorial discussions and language rights for Russian speakers.

US President Donald Trump, speaking separately on Friday, expressed cautious optimism that the two sides could eventually come together.

“We’re going to see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together,” Trump told reporters during a visit to The People’s House museum in Washington. “That’s like oil and vinegar a little bit. They don’t get along too well, for obvious reasons, but we’ll see.”

Trump said he preferred not to personally participate in the meeting but emphasized urgency in ending the conflict, citing high casualties.

Trump has recently been making vigorous efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. He conducted several rounds of talks with both sides, including a summit with Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15, and announced preparations for a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.