Overview

• Sergey Lavrov told NBC’s Meet the Press that Moscow views Volodymyr Zelensky as illegitimate for signing any legal documents, though Russia would meet him as the de facto head in Kyiv.
• U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said the Russians told American officials they recognize Zelensky as Ukraine’s leader, a claim that contradicts Lavrov’s remarks from the same program.
• Media reports say President Donald Trump is working to set up the first face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Zelensky to pursue a permanent peace agreement.
• Lavrov accused Western countries of trying to obstruct negotiations and said such efforts would be thwarted, referencing follow-up talks after the U.S.–Russia engagement in Alaska.
• Russian demands highlighted by officials include new Ukrainian elections, rollbacks on language and church laws, NATO renunciation, demilitarisation, and territorial concessions, positions Kyiv has largely rejected.