Description: Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has significantly downplayed the possibility of bilateral or trilateral meetings between the leaders of Ukraine, the US and Russia. Lavrov additionally said that a potential trilateral or bilateral summit would have to be carefully planned and every aspect of confliction under the present conditions in the war should be examined in order for the deterioration of the peace process to be avoided. Leaders from the major NATO countries conducted a virtual coordination meeting where the previously discussed security guarantees for Ukraine have reportedly been formulated. Trump has expediently transformed his public statements, now saying that Russia might not want to achieve peace after all, following Foreign Minister Lavrov’s statements. The situation on the ground remained unchanged with Russia continuing to launch aerial attacks on Sumy and Odessa which injured more than 15 people.
Impact: The effects of the consecutive summits in the US haven’t persuaded Russia to modify its position regarding the forwarding of a potential peace agreement. Trump has also commenced his gradual withdrawal potentially fearing the complete collapse of the peace initiative following Lavrov’s statements. Several options have emerged for ensuring Ukraine’s security architecture after the war which may be perceived by Russia as a rushed out move aimed at pressuring Putin towards forcefully participating in a potential leaders summit. The current developments highlight the need for continued peace efforts and concrete peace proposals from both sides, especially regarding potential resolutions such as territorial exchanges and other conditions. Peace efforts remain elusive for the time being, despite significant developments within the past weeks outlined by the Trump – Putin meeting and Trump’s meeting with Zelensky and Europe’s leaders in Washington.