Ukraine's security talks without Russia 'road to nowhere': Russian FM

MOSCOW - Discussing security guarantees for Ukraine without Russian involvement is a "road to nowhere", Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.

"We cannot agree that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, stressing that the West, primarily the United States, understands that "seriously discussing Ukraine's security guarantees without Russia is a road to nowhere".

The minister noted that Russia is in favor of the security guarantees from Europe being "truly reliable".

As to the prospect of a possible trilateral meeting on Ukraine, Lavrov said Russia is ready to conduct talks in any format, but any high-level meeting should be carefully prepared so that it would not worsen the current situation.

US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday, with focuses on security guarantees for Ukraine and a possible trilateral meeting between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. Later Zelensky said that security guarantees for Kyiv could be finalized within the next 10 days and would "probably be 'unpacked' by our partners".