Russia Supports Reliable Security Guarantees for Ukraine, Lavrov Says

The Russian Federation is in favor of collective security guarantees for Ukraine from Europe that are genuinely reliable. This was stated by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

“Regarding reports that Great Britain, France, and Germany want to develop collective security guarantees, we support that these guarantees be genuinely reliable,” he said at a joint press conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi.

As the minister noted, Russia believes that the focus on guarantees for Ukraine should be based on the developments achieved in the Istanbul negotiations of 2022.

“Here we have a very good example, which, by the way, pertains to the initiative of the Ukrainian side, as it was in Istanbul in April 2022, when the Ukrainian negotiation team proposed the main principles of an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and ensuring sustainable settlement. Among those principles was Ukraine's refusal to join NATO or any other military alliance, and the establishment of Ukraine's neutral and non-nuclear status,” Lavrov emphasized.