World · Europe · 3 hrs ago
Lavrov says Russia’s position on Ukraine is unchanged ahead of possible talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow’s position on the Ukraine conflict is unchanged.
Speaking in Atlanta, he said President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments about Ukraine continuing strikes on Russian targets made it harder to prepare for talks.
Russia and Ukraine have both said they are willing to hold further talks with the United States.
Zelensky said he hoped a meeting would take place in Abu Dhabi between Nov.
6 and Nov.
10, and that Kyiv wanted Europe involved.
The possible meeting would be the first three-sided talks since early 2026.
Lavrov also said major disputes between Russia and the United States remained unresolved, including sanctions and US arms supplies to Ukraine.
Those tensions remain part of the backdrop to efforts to end the war.
The sources do not say whether the proposed meeting will go ahead.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on October 30 that Russia’s position on the Ukraine conflict had not changed.
He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments about continuing strikes on Russian targets made preparing for talks more difficult.
Zelensky said this week that he hoped for a meeting with peace negotiators in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10.
Both Russia and Ukraine have said they are willing to hold further talks with the United States.
Lavrov also said there had been no real shifts in Russia-US relations and that sanctions remained in force.
- Who
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- What
- Lavrov said Russia’s position on the conflict was unchanged and criticized Zelensky’s comments about strikes on Russian targets. Both countries have said they are willing to hold further talks with the United States.
- When
- October 30, 2026. Zelensky said this week that he hoped talks would take place between November 6 and 10.
- Where
- Lavrov spoke in Atlanta, Georgia, on the sidelines of the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. The proposed talks would be in Abu Dhabi.
- Why
- Lavrov said Zelensky’s comments made preparing for negotiations difficult. He also said fundamental issues in Russia-US relations remained unresolved.
Russia
Ukraine
Negotiating position
Russia
Lavrov said Russia’s position on the conflict was unchanged and that he did not know what Ukraine would bring to the negotiating table.
Ukraine
Zelensky said Ukraine hoped to hold trilateral talks with peace negotiators and wanted Europe involved in discussions on ending the war.
Strikes and talks
Russia
Lavrov said Zelensky’s comments about maintaining strikes on Russian targets did not help prepare for negotiations.
Ukraine
Zelensky said this week that Ukraine was acquiring more weapons to strike Russian targets.
Russia and Ukraine last held three-sided talks with the United States, according to the Straits Times.
Zelensky said he hoped a meeting with peace negotiators would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 10.
Lavrov said in Atlanta that Russia’s position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged and criticized Zelensky’s comments about strikes on Russian targets.
- Speaker
- Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister
- Location
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Proposed talks
- Abu Dhabi, November 6–10
- Possible participants
- Russia, Ukraine and the United States
- US arms sale
- 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles approved for sale to Ukraine
2 sources
What people are saying
Our position is known, but what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table, I don’t know
This kind of attitude doesn’t really help much in preparing for negotiations
Fundamental issues are not being resolved. Sanctions remain, all the sanctions from (former President Joe) Biden are echoed by the current administration.
We haven’t seen any real shifts in practice,