Russia's foreign minister avoids giving details on possibility of Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Russia is ready to continue negotiations with Ukraine in any format, but a potential top-level meeting must be thoroughly prepared and bring the negotiation process to a conclusion.

Source: Lavrov at a press conference in Moscow, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine citing Russian media

Quote: "We are ready for any format. But when it comes to meetings at the highest level, they must be prepared as thoroughly as possible at all previous stages so that summits do not lead to a worsening of the situation, but really conclude the negotiations we are ready to continue."

Details: The minister noted that during a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin "proposed not just continuing these negotiations [with Ukraine], but also considering raising the level of the heads of delegations".

"This ties in with our proposal that, within this process, a separate track be dedicated to political aspects of the settlement, alongside the military and humanitarian ones," Lavrov said.

He claimed that "this idea was positively received by President Trump". "We expect that he will convey and explain it to the Kyiv representatives, and we will get a reaction," Lavrov added.

Lavrov gave no specifics about the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Background: 

• Earlier, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said that the Kremlin leader and Trump had discussed the possibility of "raising the level of representatives" in talks on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ushakov did not specify what exactly he meant by raising the level of representatives and did not mention the possibility of a leaders’ summit. 
• Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that Putin agreed to a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy. 
• Trump announced that he is working on arranging a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and Putin.

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