Russia to watch Trump-Zelenskyy talks at NATO summit in Ankara

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow will closely monitor the outcome of a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Ankara. Speaking at a news conference in Addis Ababa, Lavrov stated that Russia would observe the talks following assurances received during last year's Russia-US summit in Anchorage, Alaska.

According to Lavrov, Russia accepted US "compromise proposals" at the Alaska meeting after careful consideration and was told that Zelenskyy would follow Washington's recommendations. "We'll see how the meeting at the NATO summit in Ankara ends," he said. Trump earlier indicated that the Ukraine conflict would be discussed during the July 7-8 summit, noting that both Moscow and Kyiv are interested in reaching a settlement.

Western Military Role

Lavrov argued that Western countries are directly involved in supporting Ukraine's military through weapons supplies, intelligence sharing, satellite assistance, and targeting strikes. "They say they are not at war with us. But that is disingenuous," Lavrov said, asserting that Western military personnel have long participated in supporting Ukrainian operations.

The Russian foreign minister noted that Europe was expanding its defense production to continue supplying Ukraine while simultaneously supporting its own industrial base. Commenting on recent remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urging allies to invest more in defense production, Lavrov criticized the alliance's military buildup and stated that an arms race would ultimately fail to achieve superiority.

Battlefield Claims and Diplomatic Expansion

On the battlefield, Lavrov pointed to Russia's proposal to allow Ukraine to retrieve the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers from Kostiantynivka as evidence supporting Moscow's claim that Russian forces control the city. He said Ukraine's refusal of the proposal showed that Kyiv was unwilling to recover its fallen servicemen. Ukrainian authorities earlier had disputed Russia's claim that it has captured Kostiantynivka.

Addressing developments in the Middle East, Lavrov welcomed ongoing negotiations concerning the Strait of Hormuz and expressed hope they would restore freedom of navigation after what he termed "US and Israeli aggression" against Iran. Turning to Africa, Lavrov said Russia plans to open diplomatic missions in Gambia, Liberia, Togo, and the Comoros over the next two years, pledging continued support for African-led efforts to resolve regional crises.