Kathrine Frich
Lavrov claimed that a workable framework existed shortly after Russian forces first crossed the border.
When warring sides look for a way out, they usually need a trusted mediator. But when trust between global powers evaporates, the path to the negotiating table becomes a minefield. That is the roadblock now facing efforts to end the war.
A matter of trust
Russia is rejecting fresh calls to settle the conflict in Ukraine. The country’s top diplomat claims Western nations can no longer be trusted in any future peace deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently spoke at a news conference following meetings with officials in Mozambique.
During the briefing, Lavrov painted a bleak picture of diplomacy. He accused Western allies of repeatedly breaking past agreements.
“The West continues to make hypocritical calls for a negotiated solution,” Lavrov said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. “Negotiated solutions were reached back in 2014, 2015, and 2019.”
Broken agreements
The Russian diplomat did not hold back. He placed the blame entirely on European and American leaders for how previous peace talks collapsed.
“In all of these cases, the West’s guarantees were dismantled by the West itself. They all proved to be total lies,” he noted via TASS.
He also pointed to the early days of the current invasion. Looking back to 2022, Lavrov claimed that a workable framework existed shortly after Russian forces first crossed the border.
“Besides, there was a negotiated solution between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, but the West undermined it openly and publicly,” Lavrov added. “We no longer trust the West’s declared willingness to find a negotiated solution, this reserve of good faith and hope has run completely dry.”
Signals from the summit
These statements from Moscow arrive at a pivotal moment. World leaders just wrapped up a major NATO summit, where the mood was notably active regarding the war.
During the gathering, US President Donald Trump signaled strong support for Kyiv. Reuters reported that Trump agreed to grant licenses so Ukraine can manufacture Patriot missile systems locally.
Still, Trump projected optimism about ending the fighting. The American leader noted that his Russian counterpart actually wants peace.
Behind the scenes, diplomatic lines between Washington and Moscow remain open. Trump told reporters he planned to call the Kremlin boss immediately after the summit. However, Russian officials later confirmed that no call took place.
Sources: TASS, Reuters
