Lavrov Says Russia's Ukraine Stance Unchanged as U.S. Approves Patriot Sale

Moscow's top diplomat met reporters in Atlanta on Friday as the United States cleared a new weapons package for Kyiv. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking on the sidelines of a G20 meeting, said Russia's position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged. He added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's remarks about continuing strikes on Russian targets complicated preparation for new talks.

Lavrov said Zelenskiy's repeated statements about acquiring more weapons to hit Russian territory were not useful for negotiating. "This kind of attitude doesn't really help much in preparing for negotiations," Lavrov said, according to Russian news agencies. He added that Russia's position "was unchanged from the very start of the special military operation," Moscow's term for its campaign in Ukraine, and said the country could not accept Ukraine as a "military threat to the lawful security interests of the Russian Federation."

On relations with Washington, Lavrov said fundamental issues remained open. "Fundamental issues are not being resolved. Sanctions remain, all the sanctions from (former President Joe) Biden are echoed by the current administration," Lavrov said. He noted that U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine had expanded while arms deliveries continued. His comments coincided with a State Department announcement that day approving the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine have signaled willingness to hold three-sided talks with the United States, the first such session since early this year. Zelenskiy said this week he hoped a trilateral meeting with peace negotiators could take place in Abu Dhabi between Nov. 6 and Nov. 10, and added that Kyiv wanted Europe included in discussions on ending the war.

Lavrov told reporters, "Our position is known, but what Ukraine intends to bring to the negotiating table, I don't know." He said he could not comment on what Ukraine might propose. Foreign ministers at the G20 skipped the traditional group photo in Atlanta, and some made clear they objected to appearing alongside Lavrov.