Kathrine Frich
Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue to face obstacles.
Statements from Moscow and Kyiv are revealing clear differences over what has been agreed behind the scenes.
The latest disagreement centers on possible security guarantees for Ukraine and whether Russia has accepted them.
Moscow rejects claim
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has neither seen nor approved any Western security guarantees for Ukraine.
“We proceed from the premise that not only did we not approve these guarantees, but we did not even see them,” Lavrov said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS, cited by the Kyiv Independent.
His remarks contradict a statement made earlier by a senior Ukrainian official.
Kirill Budanov, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said on February 28 that Russia had indicated it would accept security guarantees for Ukraine backed by the United States.
“In previous negotiations, the Russian side directly stated that it would accept the security guarantees offered to Ukraine by the US,” Budanov said.
Talks without Moscow
Budanov added that Moscow understands it could eventually be “forced” to accept such guarantees.
His comments came shortly after US and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on February 26 as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a peace agreement with Russia.
Russia did not participate in those talks. According to reports, the delegations discussed Ukraine’s reconstruction needs after the war and preparations for a future round of negotiations that would include Moscow.
Security debate
Kyiv has repeatedly argued that any peace deal must include strong and binding security guarantees from its allies, especially the United States.
Ukrainian officials say such commitments would be essential to preventing another Russian invasion in the future.
However, the exact form these guarantees might take remains unclear, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Moscow’s demands
Russia has previously rejected several proposals related to Ukraine’s security.
These include Ukraine joining NATO or the deployment of European peacekeeping forces on Ukrainian territory, both of which Kyiv and its allies see as key deterrents against future attacks.
At the same time, Moscow has insisted that any settlement must also include security guarantees for Russia itself.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, TASS, Digi24
