Russia’s Lavrov Says No Point in Inviting European Leaders to Ukraine Talks

I don't know what they [European officials] would do at the negotiating table... if they are going to sit at the negotiating table with the aim of continuing war, then why invite them there

Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow

Territorial concessions to what is now called Ukraine were made by the Soviet leadership during the formation of the USSR,

Lavrov said before heaping scorn on a Ukrainian bid to do a deal giving the United States access to minerals

How should we give in - with Russian people or with rare earth metals?"

Lavrov said

Marco Rubiosecretary of State

If it’s real negotiations — and we’re not there yet — but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they’re the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia as well, and they’ve contributed to this effort,

Rubio said

The next few weeks and days will determine whether it’s serious or not,

he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday

It’s indeed like Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas, (the) birthday of Vladimir Putin and everything is happening in one day,

Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga on Sunday

Vladimir Putinpresident

We’re moving along. We’re trying to get a peace with Russia, Ukraine, and we’re working very hard on it.”

The president on Sunday raised the prospect of a meeting with Putin “very soon.” ... He told reporters in Florida

When President Trump says as part of a deal there will have to be European troops, we will have to be asked to supply them, so sooner or later we will have to be involved.”

But he added

But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country,

Starmer said

Marco Rubiosecretary of State

I don’t have any details for you this morning, other than to say that we stand ready to follow the president’s lead on this and begin to explore ways, if those opportunities present itself, to begin a process towards peace,

Rubio said

Keir Starmeru.K. Prime Minister

I do not say that lightly,

Starmer said in an op-ed published in the Daily Telegraph

They have a big powerful machine, you understand that. They defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon. They’ve been fighting a long time,

Trump told reporters after a flight on Air Force One

There’s no time set, but it could be very soon,

Trump told reporters on Sunday ahead of talks between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia

It’ll be soon; we’ll see what happens,

Trump added when asked if a meeting could happen this month

But I think he's really a little bit scared about the President Trump,

Zelenskyy added

Volodymyr Zelenskyypresident

I said that [Putin] is a liar,

Zelenskyy said of a recent phone call to Trump

I think he wants to stop fighting,

Trump said

And to my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up (defense) spending,

the NATO secretary-general said at the conference

If Trump is negotiating with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin about Europe, then it is impossible to talk about Europe without us,

he told NewsWeek

What we don't want to do is get into a large group discussion,

Kellogg said,