Ukraine security talks risk uncertain path

NATO defense chiefs discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as Russia rejects talks without its participation

Ukraine security talks hit an uncertain path after Lavrov remarks

NATO defence chiefs spoke in a video conference about what security guarantees they could offer Ukraine. Italian admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said 32 defence ministers joined and that there was a “great, candid discussion” showing unity within the alliance as talks continue. Kyiv is seeking Western weapons and training to strengthen its defences while Western officials work out what commitments they can credibly promise.

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, dismissed diplomacy that excludes Moscow, calling it a road to nowhere. He suggested that any security framework must include Russia and criticised European leaders for last-minute diplomatic theatrics around the White House visit by Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. Lavrov pointed to Istanbul’s 2022 draft accord as a starting point but warned that the West must accept Moscow’s role. Meanwhile, attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas in Sumy and Odesa left multiple people injured, and Poland reported a drone incident that authorities called a provocation.

The clash between Kyiv’s demand for credible, verifiable guarantees and Moscow’s insistence on a seat at the negotiating table risks turning diplomacy into a testing ground for credibility. Western capitals face domestic pressure over military aid while balancing public support with the cost of a long, uncertain process. The dispute over who legitimately shapes security guarantees could either stiffen Western resolve or fragment it, depending on who can deliver verifiable commitments. The path forward may depend as much on how allies police the terms of any deal as on the words they agree to on paper. The humanitarian toll keeps rising even as legislators debate strategy in capitals around the world. The Geneva idea floated by Macron and the Istanbul draft linger in the background, but the practical gaps between promises and enforcement remain wide.

Highlights

Diplomacy stays essential even when the ground feels unsettled.