Russia demands veto on postwar security guarantees

Moscow resists postwar Ukraine guarantees and ties future support to a veto while a large Russian bombardment unfolds.

Russia demands veto on postwar security guarantees

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said any postwar guarantees for Ukraine must include Moscow’s veto power, calling Western plans to deploy troops on Ukrainian soil foreign intervention and unacceptable. He urged a return to the Istanbul framework of 2022, where Russia and China would help guarantee Ukraine’s security alongside European partners, a stance Kyiv rejects. The remarks complicate prospects for a straightforward diplomatic path and reflect a broader struggle over the shape of future security in Europe.

At the same time, Moscow carried out a major overnight attack, launching hundreds of drones and missiles at western Ukraine. Kyiv reported casualties and damage, with a note that a major U.S. electronics manufacturer was among the targets. The heavy bombardment arrives as officials in Washington and Kyiv weigh steps toward possible negotiations, even as Moscow signals it will not concede on its maximalist terms and Kyiv insists on conditions that Russia may find unacceptable.

The Kremlin’s push for veto power over postwar guarantees signals diplomacy tangled in hard security guarantees rather than mere handshake promises. It raises the question of whether Western-led assurances can be credible if Russia can veto postwar arrangements. Trump’s presence adds a destabilizing layer, with mixed signals about U.S. involvement that could weaken any singular approach to peace.

If Moscow sticks to maximalist demands, the risk is a longer, more violent stalemate that harms civilians and reduces the room for compromise. Western allies must test guarantees for credibility and verifiability while avoiding a framework that solidifies Russia’s constraints on Ukraine’s sovereignty. The coming days will show whether diplomacy can outpace the tempo of war and create a path toward a durable settlement or if the cycle of threats and counter-threats simply deepens.

Highlights

Diplomacy will need more than bold words to earn trust and keep the door open for dialogue