Russia has dismissed Western-led talks on future security guarantees for Ukraine as meaningless without its participation, branding the effort a “road to nowhere.” The warning comes amid stepped-up U.S. and European planning for post-war arrangements, even as Kyiv presses ahead with NATO coordination and Poland accuses Moscow of new provocations.

Russia’s Position

Speaking after a meeting with Jordan’s foreign minister, Lavrov said: “We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work.” He accused European leaders of making “clumsy” and “unethical attempts” to sway Trump’s stance during White House talks.

Lavrov insisted any Putin–Zelenskyy summit must be “prepared in the most meticulous way” to avoid worsening the conflict.

Western and NATO Moves

U.S. and European military planners are exploring what a security guarantee framework might look like. NATO’s military committee confirmed 32 defence chiefs held a video call to assess recent talks, stressing that the “priority continues to be a just, credible and durable peace”.

A Western official added that a smaller group of leaders continued discussions in Washington immediately afterward. Trump has ruled out deploying U.S. troops in Ukraine but left open possible U.S. air support as part of a future settlement.

Ukraine Pushes Ahead

Kyiv, meanwhile, is accelerating efforts to secure binding guarantees. Andriy Yermak said Ukraine’s military teams are already drafting the defence components of such guarantees with NATO and EU partners, adding: “The appropriate steps must be taken by the Russians, or they must feel additional truly painful pressure from the world.”

The security debate comes as Poland accused Moscow of fresh provocations after a suspected Russian-made drone landed in a cornfield in eastern Poland. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “Once again, we are dealing with a provocation by the Russian Federation… at a crucial moment when discussions about peace in Ukraine are underway.”

The 2022 Template

Lavrov pointed to the early Istanbul talks in 2022 as a potential model, when Ukraine would have received guarantees from the U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members — including Russia. Kyiv rejected that draft, arguing it gave Moscow veto power over any response to future aggression