During his statement, Lavrov said that Russia has shown "some flexibility" on points suggested by President Trump following the Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage. However, he was highly critical of President Zelensky, accusing him of being inflexible and refusing to compromise on key issues.
"It’s clear there are several principles Washington believes should be settled, including Ukraine’s NATO membership and territorial discussions, but Zelensky said ‘no’ to everything," Lavrov stated. He further questioned Zelensky's leadership by claiming the Ukrainian president "even refused to repeal laws restricting the Russian language," a point that has been disputed by NBC News.
The comments from the Russian Foreign Minister highlight the significant diplomatic impasse between Moscow and Kyiv. With both sides holding firm on their positions, a potential face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky appears to be a distant prospect.