Russia accused western European leaders of undermining peace efforts in Ukraine, while the United States pledged to continue diplomatic talks following last week's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov praised Donald Trump's peace initiatives during an NBC interview on Sunday, contrasting them with European leaders' approach.
Lavrov criticised the European delegation that visited the White House with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky after the August 15 Alaska meeting. "We want peace in Ukraine. He wants, President Trump wants, peace in Ukraine," Lavrov said, claiming European representatives including France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz, Britain's Keir Starmer (Labour) and EU president Ursula von der Leyen "don't want peace."
The Alaska talks produced neither a ceasefire nor an agreement for direct Putin-Zelensky negotiations, despite earlier suggestions of face-to-face meetings within two weeks. European leaders have pledged security guarantees as part of any peace agreement, though Russia flatly rejects the prospect of European troops positioned in Ukraine.
Peace process challenges
Vice-President JD Vance appeared on the same NBC programme, claiming Russia had made "significant concessions" to Trump for the first time in over three years of conflict. However, The Independent reports that Vance was unable to specify what concrete concessions Russia has actually offered.
Trump has ruled out sending US military forces to Ukraine, and his administration reportedly blocked Ukraine's use of US-supplied long-range missiles against Russia. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney told Zelensky on Sunday that Canada would not rule out sending troops as part of security guarantees.
Lavrov denied Russia targets civilian infrastructure, despite last week's airstrike on a US-owned electronics manufacturing company in western Ukraine. "We target only military enterprises, military sites or industrial enterprises directly involved in producing military equipment," he claimed.
Ukrainian perspectives
The Independent reports that Ukrainian refugees in the UK fear any peace agreement will only "freeze" the conflict rather than end it permanently, highlighting concerns about long-term sustainability. Meanwhile, according to the Morning Star, Zelensky is actively courting Global South support through South Africa's G20 chairmanship to pressure Russia.
Vance warned that peace negotiations historically go "in fits and starts" and would not "happen overnight." He said the US would continue diplomatic efforts: "We're going to keep on trying to convince these parties to talk to each other and continue to play the game of diplomacy, because that's the only way to get this thing wrapped up."
Lavrov maintained Russia wants peace and acknowledged "Ukraine has the right to exist," but insisted Ukraine "must let people go" - referring to Putin's demands for Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine captured since 2022.
Sources used: "Reuters", "The Guardian", "Independent", "Morning Star" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
